Today, I’d like to invite you to notice all the stuff you HAVE gotten done this month.
With so much ambient busy-ness and pressure in December, almost everyone gets tangled in the length of their to do lists and how much remains to be done.
I think December 20th is a great day to take a look back at what you have actually done so far.
And I’d like you to remember that all of this is on top of your regular tasks.
And I’m hoping you’ll include all of the stuff that kind of got rolled into your to do list along the way – the phone calls, the extra emails, the add-on errands, helping your coworker find that file, picking up the napkins for the party – all the small additions that all took time and energy and planning and money.
Whether you make a mental list or a physical list of your work since December started, I hope you’ll take a moment to congratulate yourself and offer yourself a gold star for all of that hard work.
In case you don’t have a gold star handy, here’s one you can use:
The goal of this exercise is not just to show you a big list, it’s to help you make some space in your brain by seeing that some things (a lot of things) are, indeed, done.
And I would like to remind you of two things: that you are doing the very best that you can with the resources you have AND that you don’t have to do every single remaining thing on your list. I
t’s ok to choose your peace of mind and your own enjoyment of the rest of the month over the sense of pressure and perfection that this season seems to create.
And however you make space for yourself today, I wish you ease and a sense of contentment.
Here’s our movement practice for today:
The still image of this Beginner Abs – No Equipment video from NourishMoveLove shows the title on the right side and, on the left, an image of the instructor – a person with light skin with their long hair in a ponytail, wearing a black tank top, black leggings, and blueish green shoes – is demonstrating one of the exercises. They are facing the camera and extending their right arm to touch their right toes – both of which are extended toward the camera – while supporting themselves on the side of their left knee and lower leg and their left forearm and raising themselves off their yoga mat.
And our mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for this Guided 12 Minute Mindfulness Meditation by Doctor Julie Smith shows a close-up of the instructor, a woman with a slight smile who is wearing a yellowish brown hooded sweater. She has light skin, dark eyes, and long hair that is brown with blonde at the ends. The title of the video is on the right side and in the blurred background you can see a large painting with brightly coloured dots, a shelf with decorative items on it, and a tripod for a light or camera.
Sometimes I worry about being repetitive with my posts (and I worry about being repetitive in my comments about being repetitive…yes, I will overthink just about anything) but then I remember how often I need to remind myself about certain things. And since I doubt I am alone in that, I’m going to just carry on with saying something I probably have already said.
Today is a good day to decide what done looks like.
Between work, volunteer commitments, our personal lives, and any holidays we are celebrating this month, most of us have a lot of tasks and projects going we are trying to (or hoping to!) get to at the moment.
And we probably have a ‘perfect’ version of each of them in our heads.
Personally, that tends to take up a lot of my mental space because I keep subconsciously hoping that I will be able to get to that perfect version of each task and project.
This is, of course, impossible.
And the only way for me to reclaim that mental space is to decide what version of that task and project I am actually going to attempt (and, in fact, if I am going to attempt any version at all!)
By drawing a line under the possibilities for each task/project, by deciding the Conditions of Enoughness for each one, I can give myself some peace of mind because I know what the end point looks like.
So far today, I have decided that ‘getting started’ on two work projects means ‘making a list of ideas for each one and then setting a reminder to check them in January.’ And that non-urgent stack of papers can be stored for now instead of taking the time to sort them (and probably get distracted by the contents which would extend the time for the task.) And I can choose a slightly simpler card design for my gifts for my friends – the message of love will be the same but I won’t need to wait for the paint to dry and that makes things significantly easier.
I’d like to invite you to try this out for any projects and tasks that you have spinning around you at the moment.
What could ‘done’ look like?
What’s the most straightforward version of that task or project that you could be satisfied with for now?
How can you make this whole thing easier on yourself while still feeling good about it?
Sidenote: We could also consider who we could ask to help us and what form that help might take. This isn’t always possible but it’s worth considering.
Whether you choose to draw lines under things (or set Conditions of Enoughness) today, whether you choose to do the practices below, or you choose to do something else entirely, I wish you ease and space in your day.
Today, I have included two movement practices for you to choose from so you can enjoy whichever one feels more appealing to you in the moment.
In the still image from this 6 Minute Neck Mobility and Upper Body Stretch video from Move Coalition, the instructor is exercising on a mat on a low wooden platform outside in a grassy area with trees in the background. Their skin is lightly tanned, they have their brown hair in a ponytail, and they are wearing a black sports top and black shorts. They are demonstrating one of the exercises with their right knee and shoulder on the mat, their right arm is extended toward the camera, their left leg is extended back from their body and the ball of their left foot is on the mat, their left arm is extended towards the sky and they are looking upwards towards their right hand while the back of their head rests on the mat.
In this still image for 6-Minute Gentle Mobility for Hamstrings, Quads, & Hips by Dr. Kristie Ennis , the left side of the image is blue and has black text reading ‘Loosen Up Your Legs’ and the right side of the image shows the instructor, a smiling, light-skinned person with a tan and shoulder-length blonde hair who is wearing a black sports bra and shiny blue shorts, demonstrating one of the exercises on a pink yoga mat in a room with white walls and a grey floor. Their upper body is upright and their legs are both out to their left as they rest on their right hip. Both legs are flat on the floor at 90 degrees and their left knee is pointing to the camera while the bottom of their left foot faces the back wall, their right knee is pointing to the right and the bottom of their right foot is facing towards the left.
And here’s your mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for this 5 Minute Mindful Breathing video from Medistate Mind shows a scene in silhouette on the left and in the background and the title of the video in brown letters in the foreground on the right. On the left side is the silhouette of a person sitting crossed-legged with their hands raised and meeting palm to palm in prayer above their head. In the somewhat distant background is the outline of buildings and streetlights without many distinguishing features.
Despite yesterday’s list revision, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning and I could feel myself tipping towards that kind of mental-wheel-spinning that happens when I can’t prioritize.
(I also refer to this as my brain’s ’if I can’t do everything then I won’t do anything’ mode.)
Luckily, I caught myself before the wheels started going too fast and I dragged up a piece of advice my sister and I hand back and forth as needed.
‘Pick something fun or pick something you’ll be really glad to have done.’
So, I am happy to say that I have now finished cleaning my fridge (glad to have that done!) and I picked up a really silly gift for my youngest kid (big fun!)
And, as a bonus, my tasks for this afternoon feel really clear.
So, Team, I would like to invite you borrow that piece of advice and help get the next part of your day started with something fun or something good to get done.
I suspect it will work well even if you aren’t feeling overwhelmed. 🙂
Whether you create mental space the same way I did, whether you choose the movement or meditation below, or whether you do something completely different, I wish you as much ease as possible today and always.
*****
Here’s our movement practice suggestion for today:
In the still image from this “7 Minute Nia® Dance Break with Meredith Amato: “Steal Drums”” from Nia Technique, the instructor is in the foreground extending their fist towards the camera. They have light skin, long brown hair pulled back into a bun, and they are smiling, they are wearing an orange sleeveless shirt. There are two other people in black shirts who can be partially seen in the background (there are additional people in the video) and the studio wall (brick with large windows) is visible behind them.
And here’s our mindfulness practice suggestion for today:
In the still image for this 5-minute Meditation from the CDC a person is seated outside on a cloudy day in a wicker ‘egg’ style chair with pink cushions and a blue blanket behind them. The person, who has short brown hair, light brown skin, and is wearing a pink sweater and white pants, is seated upright with their wrists resting on their knees and their hands hanging a little between their knees. They look restful and happy. There are a variety of plants on stands and in pots surrounding them and judging from the background, they are on a raised balcony of some sort.
I don’t know about you but the time has come for me to rewrite my list!
Earlier in the month me didn’t know what I know about how the month has unfolded so far and I need to make some adjustments to her plans.
Past me was much better at making lists than she once was.
Before medication and practice and developing more reasonable expectations, she would have planned to show up in superhero mode every day in December and by now she would have been exhausted.
This year’s planning was pretty reasonable but it obviously couldn’t fully account for bad weather, a few off days, and a little extra work that came my way so I had to adjust things on the fly.
Now, at a little over halfway through the month, I want to take a few minutes to adapt my list to my current reality so I can match my time, my priorities, and my expectations.
And I would like to invite you to do the same.
The key element here is to avoid judging ourselves for a) the size of our initial lists b) not getting everything done c) changing our plans.
Making a new list is not a sign of failure, it is a recalibration based on new information.
And while you are recalibration, please remember to include fun and rest on your to do list.
You don’t have to fill every waking moment with tasks – even if they are things you want to do.
And if anyone argues with you on that, send them to me – I’ll deal with ’em.
Anyway, Team, I am wishing you ease as you make space for yourselves today.
Go Team Us!
Here is our movement practice suggestion for today:
The still image for this ’10 Minute Chair Cardio Workout’ from Caroline Jordan there are two people exercising on chairs in the foreground, the title of the video is above, and, in the somewhat blurred background, you can see a couple of end tables with plants on them, some free weights, a exercise roller, and two exercise balls. Both people are smiling while doing a side extension with their left arms extended over their heads and to the right and their left legs extended outward to the left. The person in front has long blond hair (in a high ponytail), light skin, and she is wearing a black tanktop and blue leggings. The person slightly behind has long black hair, light skin, and is wearing a white tanktop and blue leggings.
And here’s our mindfulness practice suggestion for today:
The still image from this 10 Minute Guided Meditation – Just As You Are video from Great Meditation shows a drawing of a person sitting in a cross-legged meditation position with their hands on their knees, palms upwards, with their thumb and index fingers forming a circle on each hand. The person has brown skin and dark brown curly hair, their eyes are closed and they look peaceful and contemplative.
Today, I want to invite you to create some mental space by finding company for some of your tasks.
Note: This is often called body-doubling and many neurodivergent people find it helpful.
For you, having company for your task might look like asking a friend to run errands with you or to hang out while you do some housework.
It might look like asking someone to check in with you via text or in an online meeting as you both do work tasks. Or, if possible, you could meet in person to work simultaneously.
It might also look like trying an online body-doubling app or website – I haven’t tried these but many of my friends have and found them useful. If you search ‘body doubling online’ you can pick the one that matches your needs and your budget (many have free options!)
And it could look like working along with a video on YouTube. If you want to give that a whirl, search for ‘virtual body doubling’ and you’ll have a bunch of options.
I have also invited small groups of friends who all have an irritating task to finish to join me on Zoom for a specific period of time so we can work on our tasks together – with frequent breaks to chat.
Having company, even virtual company, tends to give my mind a break. It can help make the task feel more enjoyable, it reduces the feeling of tedium that some tasks induce, and it puts tasks into a time container that makes them feel more doable.
And all of that helps me to make more space in my brain and in the rest of my life – I hope it can do the same for you!
Wishing you ease and space, today and always.
Here’s today’s movement practice:
In the still image for this ’10 Minute Morning Stretch’ from Yoga With Nancy, the instructor is doing a deep squat on a white yoga mat with their hands in prayer position. They have their eyes closed and they look purposeful. They are wearing white clothing and the couch behind them and the curtain in the background are also different shades of white. Above them is text reading “Morning Stretch. Wake up & feel good.”
And here’s today’s mindfulness practice:
In the still image for this ‘Instant Calm’ video from Yoga with Adriene, Adriene is sitting cross-legged on a folded blanket on a yoga mat. She has her hands in prayer position, her eyes are closed and she is looking downward. She is wearing a green sleeveless shirt and pink loose pants with green cuffs. There is an end table with an candle and a vase of flowers on it behind on her left and a basket with a blanket in it behind on her right. There is a row of windows in the background and a sunbeam can be seen on the wooden floor behind her.The word calm is superimposed on the image and has been placed slightly behind her so part of the A and part of the L are obscured.
Today, I want to invite you to add something fun to your day or plan something fun for your week, and to prioritize it like it was a vital meeting with a key client. (’cause it is but just not in a business-y way.)
It doesn’t have to be something huge but it does have to involve something you enjoy.
For example, I really wanted to dry orange slices to add to some decorations so the first thing on my to-do list today was slicing oranges and putting them in the oven on low heat.
And, yeah, that was a task, really but it was an enjoyable process
I even followed the mindfulness recommendations of using all my senses in the process – noticing the smell of the oranges, enjoying the variations in the colour, noting the texture and taste differences. (Oranges don’t offer much of an listening experience but I paid attention all the same.)
I hardly ever remember to do all that kind of stuff when I have a task at hand but because I knew I wanted to mention it here, I really tuned in to what I was doing and, I can, indeed report that it felt good to pay attention in that moment.
Does this mean I will remember to pay attention like that more often? Probably not but hopefully I will remember every now and then.
I get that this still doesn’t necessarily sound like something fun but consider it like this: I had decided that I wanted to dry oranges for decorations (a result I will enjoy), I decided to prioritize the process of creating them (prioritizing something I wanted to do felt good), I followed my plan without getting stressed about it (which for someone with ADHD is a definite victory), I was successful in mindfully slicing the oranges and managed to create fairly even slices (a HUGE challenge!), and I will be very happy with the finished decorations.
So, it’s not the same as having tea with a friend or drawing or dancing but I have enjoyed the process so far and I will get to enjoy the process of making the decorations once the orange slices are ready. (They are drying in the oven even as I type this!)
So, that was a lot of words to explain something fairly simple but that’s how my brain works a lot of the time and I am just rolling with it.
Anyway!
I hope that you can create some space for fun in your very near future, no matter what that fun looks like. And you don’t have to answer to anyone about that fun, either. If you find it fun, it is fun!
No matter how you choose to create space for yourself, I wish you ease in the process.
Here is a suggested movement video for today:
In the still image for this 10-Minute Low-Impact Bodyweight Cardio video from PS Fit three people are standing in a peach-coloured room. They are all wearing grey leggings, sports bras, and white sneakers and are demonstrating the cross-body elbow to knee movement, bringing their left knees up to meet their right elbows. They are all smiling and appear to be enjoying their workout.
And here is a mindfulness practice for you to try:
Mindful Drawing Studio In the still image of this Mindful Drawing Draw Along video, there is large text reading “Grab a gift card and draw with me! With Stacey Peters” in black on the left and an image of a sketchbook with overlapping rectangles filled with spirals, and a marker on the right. Overlapping the sketchbook is a person’s right hand (with several gold rings on the fingers) holding a red card (that says Gift Card on it) between their index finger and thumb.
My morning got a little out of hand and I didn’t get this finished in time to post on my usual schedule.
I felt a bit stressed about that – and about the fact that I was drawing a bit of a blank on what to write here – when this important reminder popped into my head:
Done beats perfect every single time.
So, Team, here is my imperfect but complete post for today.
I hope that you can complete a few things imperfectly and get them out of your head and off of your to do list today.
Wishing you ease as you create a little more space for yourself in your own life.
Have fun out there!
Here’s today’s movement practice:
In the still photo for this 10-Minute Beginner Low-Impact Indoor Walk from Justin Agustin, the instructor is in their living room wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a blue tanktop and walking on a mat. Their left knee is raised very high midstep. Their L-shaped couch is behind them and to their left and there are lots of windows in the background.
Here is today’s mindfulness practice:
In the still image for this 5 Minute Mindful Boost: A Coffee Break and Guided Meditation from Headspace, there is a cartoon image of someone’s fingers wrapped around a white take-out coffee cup. The cup is smiling and its eyes are closed. The background of the image is dark green and there is one gold sort-of-diamond-shaped twinkle in the upper middle of the screen. White text reading ‘5 minute Mindful Coffee Break’ and ‘headspace’ are on the left side of the image.
Sometimes, especially when I am busy, I forget to simplify.
I’ll end up following an old plan, doing something in a complicated way, or making a task much bigger than it needs to be, just because it doesn’t feel like I have time to think it through and/or make new decisions about it.
This can result in me doing a lot of unnecessary work or being needlessly stressed and it definitely reduces the possibilities for enjoying the process.
So, for a while now, when things feel complicated, I have been going back to one quick reminder:
Do the easy thing!
And, sure, that could be interpreted in multiple ways but in this case it means to find the easiest way to accomplish what I am setting out to do and only add extra things if I know I will have time and energy.
So, for example, if I was hosting a dinner for a group of people, I might initially have the idea that I was going to cook a bunch of stuff.
But if that starts to feel too stressful, I would look for the easiest way to accomplish my task (which, in this case is finding a way to enjoy hanging out and feeding with those people – it’s not usually about the specific food.)
That might mean ordering a meal, or buying some precooked items at the grocery store, or making pancakes, or switching to a dessert party, or any other solution that reduces stress and scales the task to a manageable level.
And if I decide that I am making pancakes and then have the time/energy/inclination to make side dishes or dessert, it’s a bonus, not a commitment or an obligation.
So, Team, today I’m inviting you to consider what ‘Do the easy thing!’ might look like for you.
Is there something coming up – a task, a commitment, and event- that you could pare down to a simpler version?
Are you putting pressure on yourself to do something perfectly that you could challenge yourself to make as easy as possible instead?
And, yes, I know that you may get pushback from people who are counting on you to overexert yourself so they can enjoy something stress-free but they can just shut-up. Decide on a response in advance (“This is what I can do this year.” “I know you prefer it the other way but this is how I have to proceed this year.” “If you would like something different, feel free to take this on yourself.”) and stick with it. Try not to make excuses or waffle about it, that gives people the idea that you will give in if they push – just state it as plainly as possible and forge ahead.
You deserve to enjoy your December and to minimize your stress.
You deserve to have more space in your own life.
You deserve kindness, care, and consideration, just the same as everyone else.
And I wish you ease in the process of finding it.
In the spirit of doing the easy thing, here are our practices for today:
My favourite warm-up routine! It’s not fancy but it is pretty easy and I feel great when I’m done.
A five minute warm-up video from Fitness Blender. The still image shows a person with long light brown hair in exercise clothes standing in a white room. They are in the middle of one of the warmup exercises so they are standing on their right foot with the lower part of their left leg lifted up behind them.
And here’s an easy, short, visual mindfulness practice from SunFlow. It’s a YouTube Short so it can’t be embedded but it’s worth following the link and watching on repeat.
The image shows a pink ball moving back and forth through an open-ended spiral against a green background while directions to breathe in or out appear near the spiral. If you are just listening, there is a breath sound to follow – they begin by breathing out.
Today, I’m inviting you to take an extra moment to give yourself something you need.
Perhaps that’s a little extra movement or a few more minutes rest.
Maybe you need some time away from your email or a little time to chat with a friend.
You may need a warm cup of tea, a blanket, or some paper to make a list.
I’m sure we all have a lot of needs that are much bigger than any of those things (and I hope you can meet those needs, too!) but we definitely all have relatively small needs like this that we tend to delay meeting because they aren’t part of the big plan or because they feel a little inconvenient.
But imagine how much better the rest of your day would feel if you made space to meet one of those needs?
Personally, I am going to meet two of my current needs – putting slippers on my chilly feet and making a cup of tea – as soon as I finish typing this.
Whether you are meeting one of those small needs, following this yoga practice, giving progressive muscle relaxation a try, or doing something else entirely, I hope you can make a little extra space for yourself today.
And, as always, I wish you ease and kindness.
Here’s our movement practice for today:
In the still image for this 10 Min Neck & Shoulders Stretch from Yoga with Kassandra, the instructor is pictured on the right hand side. They are wearing a white tank top and blue leggings and sitting crossed legged with their left arm behind their back while stretching the left side of their neck by tilting their head to the right. Their eyes are closed and they look peaceful. There are a lot of windows in the background and snow on the ground outside.
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today:
In the still image for this 6 Minute Progressive Muscle Relaxation Guided Meditation from Beam Therapy & Training there is a circle on the left side that encloses a photo of a person with long hair, wearing a green sweater and blue jeans sitting crossed-legged with their eyes closed and their face turned upwards. Text listing the name of the video and the url http://www.beamtraining.co.uk is on the right side. The background is dark green and there are polka dots and other green shapes along the bottom edge.
I hope you have managed to plan, schedule, or squeeze a bit of extra space into this first week of December and I hope that a little extra fun made its way into your days as well.
Today, I’d like to remind you that there are lots of different ways to relax and have fun.
If you love getting dressed up and going to parties, that’s a great way to spend your time.
If you love watching movies at home in your pajamas, that’s also a great way to spend your time.
Please don’t feel pressured to do all of the social things and please make sure to respect your own needs, limits, and capacity when choosing how to spend your time.
Sure, we all can get a bit overscheduled this time of year – it can kind of go with the territory – but we probably have at least a little leeway in the what and the how and the when of participating in social events.
Speaking of choices, when you are making a little space for yourself today, feel free to choose these videos or to choose something else that serves you well.
Wishing you ease and fun, as always!
Here’s our movement practice for today:
The still image for this “10-Minute Vacation-Vibes Soca Workout” from PS Fit features three energetic and happy looking people in black workout clothes in the centre of the image. They are all slightly turned to the right and they have their arms slightly raised so their hands are in front of their right hips, palms down. The background is bright pink.
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for Michigan Medicine‘s “Mindfulness Breathing and Directed Doodling” video shows a person’s hands holding a green Sharpie marking and making lines in a figure 8 on a white sheet of paper that is resting on a wooden table. There are already blue lines in the same pattern on the paper.
