We're back!
I'm glad I took the summer off, as it was an extremely stressful period. I couldn't have given my best effort to this project over those months, so it was the right choice to step away for a time. But things have calmed down, and I'm refreshed and ready to go again.
Are we going to push harder and do bigger things this fall? Of course not! I'm still going to encourage you to take care of yourself, simplify your life, and focus on tiny improvements. Most things are going to be the same as always around here.
For instance:
We'll still cover a wide variety of topics on self-improvement and self-help. I plan a new series of posts on time management, a deep dive into meal planning, and posts about sleep habits, using checklists, and developing self-compassion.
Expect repetition of my most popular reminders. I will still constantly and consistently remind you to rest, take care of yourself, and schedule downtime. (It's practically my trademark at this point!)
We'll keep it small and simple. We’ll continue focusing on very small actions, paring back to essentials, and living our best lives within our unique limitations. Most posts will be short, too.
I will always strive to maintain this as a safe space. I want all readers to be comfortable here: Trans, nonbinary, and queer people, members of the BIPOC and AAPI communities, people of size and self-described fat folks, and people who experience disordered eating. That last group may come as a surprise, but the entire field of self-improvement can be an unending minefield of triggers when you have an eating disorder. Mainstream self-help resources tend to normalize some of the most damaging and shaming aspects of diet culture, which can harm everyone, not just those who already experience disordered eating. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 9% of Americans will have an eating disorder within their lifetime. If you know ten people, chances are that one of them has or will have an eating disorder; it's not uncommon. I will never use dieting or food restriction as a metaphor or as a goal here.
However, there will be a few minor changes:
I plan to start citing sources more clearly. I wasn't always fully transparent with my sources in the past, which was a weakness in the material. I have included extra resources for further reading, and I plan to continue with that, but a recent experience where I had to track down the source for a statistic that a blogger constantly referred to made me confront that I'm guilty of the same behavior. Most of what I post here is a synthesis of various sources, and I want to make that clear both to give credit and to give you a place to start investigating topics that interest you.
I want to be more explicit about my personal experiences. I plan to write more about how I've experimented with the topics and habits we discuss here, including telling you about my failures. (Don't worry: this won't become a personal essay newsletter! Our primary focus will always be on what we can try next, not what I've already done.)
We're going to take regular hiatuses from now on. As often as I've reminded others to schedule time off, I've often failed to take my own advice! My personal schedule is starting to approach pre-pandemic levels of busyness, so I need lots of time to rest. I also want to get back to writing some fiction. I plan to take off the entire month of December, then return in January 2023.
I want to open the field for suggestions. What would you like to learn more about? Which topics would you like to explore? Have you read something you'd like to recommend? Have you had a personal success you'd like to share? Feel free to post in the comments or email me if you feel shy.
Challenge:
This week, I'd like you to dust off your notebook and jot down some reflections on your summer. What went well over the last few months? What didn't go as well? What challenges would you like to tackle this autumn and winter? Remember to rest and be mindful of any busy periods you have coming up, so you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Take a walk, drink some water, and put something fun on your calendar. We'll be back with another challenge next week!
Welcome Back!✨
Love the challenge this week and also really like how all are welcomed❤️
Thoughts on topics🤔
Do apps for being held accountable for our tasks really work? I'm not too keen on the ones with monetary incentives.
I've heard smart watches and fit bits are pretty helpful for health oriented goals, idk?
I think deep down, community is what might be missing from my personal needs😅