Rec | YOUR BODY TELLING YOU “NO”

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Recently I have been hyper focused on managing my life, pushing to follow what I love, and try to provide for myself more. But with that I have also had strange mood spikes and been stressing far more. My brain is constantly go, go, going. So somedays my body just can’t go. I get moody and I feel exhausted. And it’s in these moments I have to treat my body as if I were caring for a toddler. I nap, I eat, I play, I try to hit all the basics. These breaks make me feel anxious, like I have no time. But, learning to know when my body and mind need a break makes me feel in tune with myself, pushing me to focus on my heath over my productivity.

@Jai

20h ago

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Listen to your body and trust a routine

I’ve had periods where I’ve really struggled with this too. Before I give my rec, I want to emphasize that I think we all experience cycles in our behavior where we “make progress” (whatever that means for you!) and then we don’t - and that’s really okay. I would start by figuring out if your body is physically okay. Lethargy/fatigue is a biological response to a lot of different things and it may be the result of unexpected health stuff! So don’t discount a doctor’s visit. But mental health/stress really contributes to this for me, and it is often the biggest thing that breaks my healthy routines. This is where the loop comes in: healthy routines combat stress, but stress breaks up healthy routines. So that first day you start the healthy routine cycle is really important! For me healthy routines start with good sleep hygiene. If you’ve been rotting in bed a lot and your sleep cycle is screwed, re-establishing that may be difficult. I would recommend supplementing your body with physical movement - preferably something rigorous (for your level) but also gives you joy!! No boring gym time - do whatever gives you endorphins. Consistent activity is really key for your body to not fall into a doom loop. And lastly, do the things you need to do to combat your stress. Set yourself up so that you feel you are taking meaningful steps towards progress. Start with the small stuff and don’t discount them!!! Often the small tasks are the ones that break us because they seem innumerable (for me it’s always been folding laundry). But just remember, every small thing you do is progress and that will build your momentum.
I believe in ya! You have the power to change this, slowly but surely.

@nadster

May 13, 2024

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line between productivity and rest

A couple of months ago I fell into the rabbit hole of productivity. I was listening to motivating podcasts and was actually getting more productive up to a certain point where I started getting burnt out and was experiencing a horrible surge of IBD symptoms. Every time I gave myself some form of rest I'd feel guilty and be invaded by the voices of boss ladies telling me to get out of bed and do something. Though I'd end up getting up everytime, I was forcing myself to do work I didn't want to do and a result, I became a more irritated and tired person. Unbeknownst to me, I was becoming bed-ridden due to my autoimmune disease and was forcing myself to work through it. Outcome: My body crashed on me as soon as I finished the term and I didn't get the result I wanted (I got a good GPA overall, but my CGPA is still at a C+ with no chance of raising it again) This term started and I only have 1 subject and my thesis left and I decided to give my body the chance to rest and detach myself from outcomes since nothing I can do will raise my CGPA to a B. Outcome: I ended up highly fatigued and can barely get up and do anything. Don't get me wrong, I am doing well in that class I'm in and I got a good chunk of my thesis done, but nonetheless I was exhausted. I was bedrotting for weeks under the guise of letting go of control and letting the world take me where it wants me to take. At the end I became empty with no energy to do things I actually want to do. This got me wondering: To what extent should we be productive and when do we give ourselves rest? How do we become productive without burning our bodies out? How do we give ourselves rest without slipping into bed-rotting? How do we get up and become productive after weeks of slump without forcing our bodies to do things it doesn't want? How do we convince a productivity junkie that they need rest and actually enjoy the rest? How does one get out of this cycle?

@locket

Mar 7, 2025

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ACKNOWLEDGING that the self care that works is not always the self care you want

It’s kind of annoying that the self care that I want: giving myself grace, taking off from work, and spending time relaxing on the couch, doesn’t make me feel less anxious and overwhelmed? But somehow a 7am shower and list of to-dos does? Absolutely infuriating knowing that all of the face masks, bath bombs, and “healthy” snacks mean nothing in the face of my brain panic; But tossing my entire bones and skin sack into the shower, even though the process makes me feel like a sad wet cat, does more for my brain chemistry after the fact than any of those things ever could.
It’s very annoying that self care means taking care of your self’s most basic needs, not engaging in a little treat.