Recharging your most important device

YOU! 💯

Hello friend!

Welcome to the 23rd issue of Inward Ventures, my weekly share of what I’m working on and fiddling around with. I share thoughts and ideas I come across in my continuing quest for self-improvement, productivity, and education for myself and my coaching clients. I strive to excel in my writing, creativity, and, well… LIFE. Thanks for being here. Ok, let’s get down to brass tacks.

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This morning, a funny thought came to me as I was journaling about how I am always recharging SOMETHING.

Between my Oura ring, whoop band, Garmin watch, cell phone, earbuds, kindle, I am constantly plugging SOMETHING in to restore its battery.

When I travel, I have a little bag that is JUST for my electronics. I place all my power cords and cables in there. I never have to rummage through my suitcase looking for a specific charger; I go right to my Kiki bag, pictured below.

If you’re not familiar with Kiki’s Delivery Service, shame on you LOL j/k but only a little. Read about it here, and more on the director, the famed Miyazaki here. Do yourself a solid, watch this little gem! It’s uplifting and fun, many messages peppered into the storyline. Kiki is yet another little girl idol of mine, next to Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking, Ogden Nash’s Isabel, and Lois Lenski’s Judy Drummond.

IF Nina were reading this, which I know she isn’t, she’d gasp, THAT’S NOT YOUR BAG, THAT’S MINE! I am ahem, *borrowing* it while she is temporarily indisposed for the next six years with the United States Navy. That’s how I’m reframing my possession of it, anyway. LOL

Who moved my cheese?

Many things need attention and monitoring, assessing how low the battery is and how long I can make it stretch. I can have 5% battery on my kindle, and it’s no big deal. The same amount on my phone? Gah, no way! Wait, who moved my charger?!

I began wondering about my own battery for my internal operating system and recharging that.

I quickly realized that only considering sleep as a form of powering up was short-sighted and incomplete.

I wrote down a list of things that deplete me and run down my battery. I love lists if you haven’t figured that out! It’s not comprehensive, and not all of them are “BAD” - like exercise, traveling, coffee. I’m just acknowledging that they take energy out of me.

• exercise

• gossip

• news (tv and radio)

• coffee (over 2 cups)

• Diet soda (I have a diet soda addiction that I am finally addressing, I am down to just having one if I go out to eat. My rationale for it depleting me is that I could be drinking water instead)

• negative self-talk

• sugar/candy

• traveling

• being around clutter (my own or others)

• Drama (again, my own or others)

Plugging in

What recharges me?

• meditation

• dog walks

• 10 min walks after lunch

• stretching (post-workout or coaching session)

• binaural beats music

• dancing to fun music (see videos below)

• afternoon tea (not just drinking it, I have a quiet little ritual that I like engaging in. I recently started having afternoon tea with my father-in-law, and what a joy that is to prepare and savor a nice cuppa for both of us.

• having my desk fountain running - I find the sound of running water very soothing

• gratitude list

• puttering around with my houseplants and flowers

• brushing my animals - I have 2 cats and 2 dogs ~ its a rescue animal shelter over here! Even 3 minutes is deeply relaxing, backed up by science. I sit on the floor with [INSERT PET NAME HERE] and using one hand to brush and the other to stroke and massage.

• Setting my intentions as I’m switching tasks.

• Epsom baths

• sauna Best investment, hands down; the Clearlight infrared sauna I bought 5 years ago

Get your nerd on with Dr. Rhonda Patrick below; she explains in detail the many bennies of sauna use at her blog, foundmyfitness.com 🧐

My new musical love, Dua Lipa 😍

What SEEMS like recharging but is really draining? 💀

• Mindless scrolling on my phone

• Calling a friend to vent (complain/bitch) it’s one thing to ask for advice or opinions, quite another to cry/stomp ‘bout the same ole/same ole.

• Having conversations with certain folks who favor small talk focused on doom and gloom

• Writing stuff like this! my journal and gratitude lists fill me up, but “work writing” is honestly draining.

In the 3 writing groups and courses I am involved in, a perennial hot topic is self-care. The creative process is def not wine and roses; it’s depleting. I’ve come to accept that it’s not a weakness to crave some comfort after a huge mental output. I DO deserve a break, but candy or diet soda isn’t the answer.

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More fun music

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I recently decided to resume my long-standing monthly massages and found Kim Stacy, the best massage therapist outside of NJ (if you’re in North Jersey, Rose Collins is your girl, I will hook you up!) I’ve had regular bodywork for years, and her touch is extraordinary! I struggled to remember my last bodywork session—May 2018 after some thought. I stopped them when my mother died 3 years ago; I hadn’t made that connection until last week when I was on the table.

I could get all deep about how that probably isn’t a coincidence, but I’ll spare you. LOL, let’s say I decided that I needed to resume this recovery mode for both my physical and emotional health.

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Where y’at?

Where are you with your various forms of recharging and recovery?

I’ll encourage you to spend some time considering the how, when, and where you get depleted and then restored.

Certain people or projects, situations, or circumstances can be uplifting or draining.

We don’t always get to choose those things, making it even more important to recognize the drain and remedy it regularly, not waiting till our battery reads 1%, and then we take HAPHAZARD ACTION.

I saved the best one for last 🍾🎉

Random

My father’s anniversary is quickly approaching. 🙏🏼 Here’s a shadow box highlighting some of his Masters Running accomplishments. And a funny framed picture of us, before one of the several Ridgewood 10Ks we ran together. There’s a pretty leaf I brought home from a walk and lacquered. I thought I’d put coins or rings in it, but its too fragile for that task. I decided to place it there to see it every day as a reminder of:

• the daily beauty around me

• the fragility of life

• preserving moments in time, like the boxes and the leaf, serve as steadying anchors.

~ Thanks for being one of my anchors, Daddy ~

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Whatcha got for me? Please hit reply or comment below; I’ll gladly respond in more detail. As always, I promise I will do whatever I can to be there for you and to support you. HIT.ME.UP. I mean it! 🙌

Need an accountability partner? Writing (or working out or WHATEVER?) lemme know 😍 I trade daily word counts; it’s quick, fun, and motivating, I promise!

As always, THANK YOU ~ for reading, sharing, and commenting.

xoxo

Aileen