Living, working and relaxing in the grey zone..

When you have ‘down time‘, do you really let yourself do nothing and truly unwind? No phones. No emails. No distractions. No to-do lists and no guilt. Even for me, this is a daily and weekly struggle! I work for myself and don’t have regular work days and times when I am ‘on’ and ‘off. Even when I technically have a day off or am on holiday, I still have a hard time giving myself time to actually be off.

Whether you work for yourself, a business or are a stay at home parent, the pull to be ‘on’ even when you are technically ‘off’ is strong.

Then we never have true rest and we never have true productivity. We are in the grey zone of half effort and half rest. Always ‘on’ but never fully productive. This is physically and emotionally depleting.

I had an assistant once who was a devout Jew and he observed Shabat which went from sunset  on Friday night to late Saturday night after the sun was down. During that time, he had his phone on Flight Mode and was 100% off for more than 24 hours. It is a day where Jews are free from the regular labors of life and be together with family and community. Kind of like the 7th day of the Creation story where after all the work and toll of creating life as we know it was done and ,God said, “hey, its time to rest.” If even He needed a day, why don’t you?  

While I am not a religious person, I think we can learn a lot from these practices and use them in our own way to build in scheduled down time that we also strictly adhere to so that our ‘on’ time/work time works more efficiently and better. This isn’t about ‘doing less’ per se but rather around being efficient. Truly being ‘on’ when we are on and truly being ‘off’ when we are off. Setting boundaries. And getting out of the exhausting and unsatisfying middle zone of being half ass on and guiltly off.  

May is mental health awareness month, so Carpe Diem.

May can be the month of deep, focused work with no multi tasking or checking our phones followed by days or weekends of deliberate, intentional rest with no social media, doom news scrolling, or feeling guilty for unplugging. A shabat or 7th day we design of our own accord.

Here are my list of intentions for May:

·     Walks in nature with the pups 3-4 times a week

·     Getting away from weights, gyms and inside and getting outside to run, walk and yoga instead

·     Eating one meal a day unplugged

·     Social media free mornings

·     Daily gratitude journaling

·     Daily metta meditation before bed

·     Dry brushing 3x a week

·     News-free mornings and before bed /aka no doom scrolling

·     Weekends with friends, doggo and loved ones with at least one unplugged day  

Feel free to borrow or add one and let me know how it goes! Your sleep, physical and mental health will thank you! Retreats are also a great way to unplug. That is actually what they mean – retreating refers to a period of time set aside for reflection, renewal or spiritual practice. Traditionally this was done in secluded, quiet environments free of modern distractions. The goal is to temporarily withdraw from daily life, distractions and worldly concerns to deepen the connection  with yourself and your spiritual nature. Life is simple. There are very few decisions to make or be bogged down by. You are surrounded by nature which encourages more quiet and contemplation. This year I teach at a few places that exactly fit this bill! You could even hop on a plane with me later this month to head to Spartia Beach in Kefalonia Greece. The air is warm and the water clear and deep. It is waiting for you. :)

Much love,

Kari