#BreakThings: You Are Worthy of a Break
11.20.20
Women are master jugglers. We juggle our work, our loved ones, our side-hustles, our hobbies, and our house chores. We juggle our appointments, and our kids’ school, and our volunteer positions. We do the laundry while responding to e-mail and answering math questions and thinking about what to make for dinner while letting the dog outside.
But the problem with juggling is that sometimes the wind crops up.
Two weeks ago, I got sick. On Monday, the contractors showed up without notice to install flooring (which involved saws), while I had a work call. On Wednesday, I started a new job. And today, I woke up to a screaming puppy who had hurt her foot jumping off a bench (she’s fine).
Because when you’re juggling, you just keep picking up balls until you have no more room. That’s why when the picks up, it’s so easy to become overwhelmed and drop something.
We need to learn to leave room. Room for things to go wrong. Room for the unexpected. But also just as important, room for ourselves.
We take on more and more until there is no more room. And that’s when we burnout, breakdown, and fall apart. Then, we punish ourselves for not being super human.
It’s time to put some things down, but the key is feeling worthy. Because when we feel guilty for admitting we’ve taken on too much, we push ourselves to do more in order to justify our worth.
You are worthy of making room for yourself. You are worthy of being able to say ‘no’. You are worthy of a break, of a realistic appraisal of your time and abilities, of being a human woman, and not a super-human one.
Mental illness and developmental disabilities are so painfully stigmatized. This season The Crown tackles Princess Margaret’s struggles with her mental health, and foils her experience against that of her cousins, who were institutionalized at young ages and treated by many as if they were dead. It’s a sad, but interesting tale of how protecting appearances can have real victims.
Need a gift for someone who loves scented candles or home fragrance? This diffuser from Vitruvi is as beautiful as it is functional. I use mine every day.
Building a happier more contented life is not easy. We need guidance, wisdom and different perspectives to see us through. This column from The Atlantic talks about life, health, and work to help you on your quest for a happier life.
Hopefully, you have some vacation time lined up. Even if you’re just taking a break from work, it’s so important to use your vacation days right now. But what if you work for the guy who thinks you should be working even when you’re on PTO?
The Cut has ideas for how to handle a vacation-stealing boss and reclaim your days off.
I try to be a responsible consumer of the true-crime genre, to consume shows that elevate the victims and not the criminals. HBO’s new documents-series, Murder on Middle Beach, follows Madison Hamburg as he tries to untangle the twisted tale of his mother’s murder. The first episode was brilliantly done, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.
I’m restocking my kitchen post-remodel, so I updated my kitchen list in the Amazon Shop with some wonderful new items. Check out the page, and do not miss the magnetic, double-sided measuring spoons. They’re the best.
If you love language and etymology, check out this Pocket article about contronyms — words that are also their opposites. Such good nerd-fun.
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