01. Figure out how you want to spend your day.

Block out times for different tasks based on when you’re most effective, daily and weekly. And schedule in time for rest and daydreaming! All of my creativity and insight comes when I’ve put aside the tasks and allowed myself space to dream.

02. Do what you can to combat decision fatigue.

Create a morning ritual. When you ritualize something, you don’t need to affirmatively decide every day to do it. You don’t need to make the decision every day to give yourself five minutes with your cup of tea, to make space for your meditation practice, to wash your face, etc. You make the decision once, and then it automates. This saves you a huge amount of energy.

When you’re faced with an overflowing email inbox, sort by sender and batch delete emails from anyone with whom you don’t have an open correspondence with. This is a great way to get rid of spam emails and whittle down your inbox quickly. This way you don’t need to evaluate each email from your mother-in-law in your inbox. You can decide that the entire back and forth exchange about where you’re having Thanksgiving can be deleted because it’s been resolved (hopefully peacefully!).

03. Release attachment to the whole idea of wellness.

It’s counterintuitive, but the wellness industry sometimes feeds some of the unhealthiest patterns we have. It feeds our guilt and shame about not being able to eat better, sleep better, exercise more, meditate regularly. Wellness is not a race, it’s not something you can achieve. I think we’re so used to that construct of achievement and measuring success that we’ve applied it even to our wellbeing. If we continue to do that, we’ll never be truly well.

04. Rethink the way you think about improving yourself.

This whole “world of self-improvement” relies on the premise that there is something wrong with us in our current state, and that we need to proactively do something about it. There is nothing wrong with you. What if the premise instead was that you are perfect, exactly as you are? And that rather than changing who you are to be better, you are simply trying to soften into who you already are, remembering who you are at your core? The most important idea for me, that I hold on to every day, is that the journey has never been active and outward; rather it’s always been inward.

05. Water, water, water.

Swim in the ocean, take a hot bath, take a cold shower, and drink tons of water. Water has an incredible ability to reset our nervous system and ground us. We’re so lucky to have access to clean water- use it as a power tool for wellbeing!

I hope these tips help you create more ease and balance in your life. Remember, it’s not about perfection—it’s about nurturing yourself and trusting that who you are is already enough.

Love,
Vanessa