Hello! :) Iām Nospheratt, and this is Joy Every Week;
a weekly quest to find joy in everyday things.
Youāre receiving this either because you subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. Enjoy!
Taking a Break
Starting next week, Iām taking a summer break. Iāll be traveling and meeting people and having guests and doing all sorts of fun summer things.
And I was tying myself into knots trying to write enough posts to cover my absence.
Itās not that I donāt enjoy writing our weekly quests; I fucking love it. This is the best job Iāve ever had, and Iāve done some pretty cool stuff. The problem is, right now thereās too much to do; planning and organizing and preparing for the coming weeksā¦ and of course, not enough time to do any of it.
Not to mention, trying to watch all the athletics and gymnastics and some artistic swimming in the Olympics.1
Not to mention, heatwave after heatwave with barely one slightly cooler day between them.
Trying to cram joyful writing in the middle of all that was definitely not giving me joy, let me tell you.
I always try to live by what I believe, what I say, what I write.
So I decided: Iām taking the damn break I need.
The spaciousness of this decision feels really joyful.
Instead of stressed like Iāve been the last few weeks, Iām excited ā for the upcoming adventures, and about coming back in September full of energy and new quests to share with you.
Now I can be fully present with whatever Iām doing, instead of stressing about the thing Iām not doing.
Now I feel like I can enjoy both things, instead of neither.
What would that look like, feel like, for you?
This Weekās Quest - The Joy Of Taking a Fucking Break
Ideas & inspiration to find your joy.
1 - What do you need a break from?
It may not be possible to take a break from your job, but itās certainly possible to take a break from self-imposed obligations. From worrying about things you cannot change.
From doomscrolling.
From social media.
From writing and publishing.
From alcohol, partying, going to bed too late. Or working all the time and having no fun at all. It can be anything, really.
Whatever it is, allow yourself to acknowledge what you need.
2 - What does your break look like?
āTaking a breakā doesnāt necessarily mean going on vacation or hiding in a cave (tho if you want to and you can swing it, go for it!).
Especially if you canāt get away from your daily life, taking a break can look like giving yourself more time to do the same things. Or scheduling less things.
Or doing things that bring joy, feel restful and spacious.
A weekend hike. Meeting friends for drinks.
Reading a book instead of writing your next newsletter.
Listen to the whispers of your heart. Deep down, you know what you want.
What you need.
3 - Make a plan
How are you going to take that break?
When? Add it to your calendar. Shift things around if necessary.
Say no if necessary. āNo, I canāt do that this month.ā āNo, I wonāt be available that week.ā It may feel scary at first, but youāll see: the world wonāt end, and people are not going to hate you. I promise.2
Ask for help if you need it! We tend to think weāre the only ones who can do X or that people would be unhappy about lending a hand, but thatās usually not the case.
What preparations are needed? Make a list!
Enjoy your break!
šReads
ā”ļø Weaving rest + play into the everyday
But what if a break is out of reach? How can you make time for your creative self each day? As I shared with one reader:
āThe path to pacing myself is still a daily practice of changing habits and crafting rituals that support meā¦it's about playing and figuring out what nurtures [me] personally.ā
The challenge lies in carving out these opportunities. So Iām sharing eight small things I can turn to when I need to fuel myself.
ā”ļø The Big Break
With many endeavors, there comes a time when we find ourselves asking:
Do we quit, pivot, or pause?
Sometimes, the best thing might be to walk away. Other times, we may need to change our approach. And sometimes, we simply need a rest in order to see things clearly.
If our foot is perpetually on the gas, itās hard to take stock of where we are in this process ā how we feel, how itās going, what comes next.
No matter what we decide, it behooves us to remember: Just because a streak is broken doesnāt mean we are.
Thatās It For Today!
I hope Iāve inspired you to rest, breathe, and take a fucking break. Or two. :)
See you in September! āNospheratt
I wrote this a week ago.
People who get mad at you for taking breaks or for not being always availableā¦ what can I say. Are you sure you want that sort of person in your life?
Wonderful advice! Thank you!
Excellent advice and I agree with you entirely. My time is entirely my own. I have no need to work and I do not earn any money. I have been recently nagging Clint Collide about pacing himself and taking rest. I completely understand that for most people time/work is money. This is closely linked to capitalism and can be antithetical to humanitarianism and care of self and others. Balance is vitally important.