The Art of Doing Less
avoiding burnout, rejecting the wellness industrial complex, and everyday joy
I’ll be honest, I’ve been facing a lot of resistance to write this week, the past couple weeks really. Unsure of its origin, I’ve been sitting with a feeling of discomfort, writing only when I have a deadline, but not finding much enjoyment in it. I’ve been uninspired, every artist’s worst nightmare, or is it? Maybe it’s an invitation to seek out inspiration in the everyday mundane. Let’s explore together.
INCHING TOWARDS BURNOUT
Burnout is something that we’ve become all too familiar with as a collective within the past few years. It feels like in a world that is competing for our attention, it is a radical act to step away, to log off, hit do not disturb, and refuse to participate for as long as you need to return wholly and joyfully to the work, communities and relationships that need us.
After launching this newsletter, and making some other exciting shifts in my life within the past couple months I’ve been extremely energized to accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself. Within the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed that energy has started to peter out. Afraid to lose the momentum I’ve been gaining, I’ve been trying to force myself to keep my foot on the gas, instead of easing up and becoming curious about what a slower pace could offer me.
I’m finding that even when I have a moment or an entire day freed up, I rush to fill my time, running through the laundry list of things that need to get done. Our nervous systems become familiar with the hectic pace that many of us are used to living. Slowness feels foreign, or even threatening to our bodies. We have to remind ourselves on a cellular level not only that rest is important, but how to fully and deeply surrender to it.
We all know by now that the saying “love what you do and never work a day in your life” is not entirely true. It’s often when we’re doing the work that we are actually here to do that we face the most resistance. We are required to push through limiting beliefs, self doubt, and uncertainty – which requires work. It’s a different kind of work, but it’s still work.
I love all that I’m pursuing right now AND I’m tired of rushing to get “there”. There is no destination, there is only progress. When burnout begins to rear its ugly head I have to remind myself of this. I remember, and then I forget and I have to learn this lesson all over again. Again and again and again.
I’ve been dipping my toes into the world of Human Design, a framework for understanding how we are uniquely wired. In learning that I am a Generator, I was not surprised. Despite my collected exterior, my mind always has a million tabs open. Generators represent about 70 percent of the population. As the name suggests we are here to generate energy. Known as the life force of the planet, we are the builders. Which affirms my natural disposition to always be on go mode. What underpins this natural desire is a need to feel inspired and lit up by the work that we are doing in the world.
Which brings me to my next point.
REJECTING THE WELLNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
When did healing become so serious? It’s actually so unserious.
I’m a firm believer that the purpose of this life is to enjoy it in its fullness. When did I start to believe the capitalist lie that wholeness was something I had to work for or buy?
Wholeness is my birthright. And it’s yours too.
As both a contributor and a consumer of wellness discourse, I’ve become weary of the overwhelmingly serious tone within this space. Even in our acknowledgement of the damages of hustle culture, we find ourselves in a paralleled existence. Hustling to understand our triggers and rewire our patterns, becoming rigidly disciplined to our practices, losing ourselves in the pursuit of “self-mastery” that we forget to be present with the masterpiece that we already are, and always have been.
The past few weeks I’ve unpacked heavy topics such as belonging, inner child healing, and more. In this wellness industrial complex it can be so easy to become focused on “doing the work”. Someone recently offered the perspective of replacing self-improvement with radical acceptance. Acceptance of where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. Becoming less interested in constantly going inward, reflecting, excavating and more interested in being here now.
I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. Can we take a collective exhale? Let’s slow down long enough to hear what our mind, body and spirit is asking of us. Let’s give ourselves permission to surrender to the rest, to the seasons of stillness, and turn our attention to the sweet nothings of life.
It’s Taurus season, Mercury is in retrograde, AND it’s eclipse season. The cosmos are encouraging a slow down. Let’s all take the hint.
SIMPLE EVERYDAY JOYS
Some of the sweet nothings that have been bringing me joy lately:
Evening neighborhood walks harvesting loquats
Mixing up my movement routine, trying out new class formats, teachers, and making new friends along the way!
Inviting a friend over and cooking a meal
Telling my people I love them before hanging up the phone
Spending as many hours in the sun as possible
Discovering new music and creating playlists for me, for classes, for loved ones
Sending memes back and forth, the sixth love language
Actually getting dressed for the day. As a Taurus moon, I could live in my cozies, but dressing up and styling outfits is one of my favorite forms of self-expression. As the weather warms up, I’m loving putting fits together (and the compliments that come with teehee, let’s normalize healthy affirmation, but that’s a conversation for another day)
Lastly, and I’m so serious about this one, a piece of chocolate a day keeps the depression away (hey, I don’t make the rules!!!!!)
If you’re new here this was definitely a stream of consciousness edition of TENDER LOVING CARE. I’m committed to bringing you this letter every other Sunday and that has forced me to be honest about the work that I am able to produce. It has required me to flexible and creative enough to allow this to take different shapes. Every week is different. This week, this was my best. I am choosing to believe that it is enough.
As always, it is an absolute joy to have you here. Thank you for reading.
Sending you all my love.
Take Care,
Asha Nia
"I’ve been trying to force myself to keep my foot on the gas, instead of easing up and becoming curious about what a slower pace could offer me." LOVE this. Thinking so much about how we make the space to get into a flow and create and slowing down is the best answer I've found. Being demanding feel so much worse than making the space to be open to what comes.