Welcome to Wellness Weekly coming to you every week. This will be a weekly series, sort of like a Letter from the Editors, that will rotate between Morgan, Lara, and Luigi with the occasional guest. We'll hold space on the Dirt to check in on our Sixth Sense: the term we use to refer to our spirit, intuition, and inner power. And because while we exist in the world alongside our other Five Senses, we'll do a check-in of those, too.
Now that we are approaching the middle of a month focused on Recharge, I have found myself shifting my mindset from one based on recovery to one based on refueling. (If you are still in the former mindset, check out my piece on acupuncture and cupping for my personal experience -- it really helped.) If we think of recovery as the time devoted to getting our mind and body back to a steady state, we should intentionally think about refueling as centering our actions and behavior on the things that we need to provide us the energy to move forward.
What is refueling? For me, this has meant spending some time alone and writing down the specific activities, people, and experiences that leave me feeling injected with a giant B-12 shot when they are over. When I did this exercise last week, I found that everything I wrote down fell within one of three buckets: something old, something new, and something true.
Something old -- I am not a person that tends to dwell in the past. I’m more of a shake-it-off, move onto the next thing kind of person. But even I will admit that some of the most energizing things in my life involve taking a step back. An example of this is reconnecting with an old friend. Logistical obstacles may abound trying to get a call or facetime on the calendar, but I urge you to make it work. After a recent catch-up with somebody who has known me since my early 20s left me feeling grounded, balanced, and invigorated.
Something new -- On the other end of the energizing spectrum is finding something to try that you haven’t done before. There is something uniquely thrilling about pushing yourself in a way that is novel and maybe even out of your comfort zone. My “something new” comes in the form of committing to a new kind (to me -- it’s actually been around forever) of fitness: strength training. My entire adult life I have told myself that I’m simply not a physically strong person and that it was totally fine that I couldn’t do a push-up or lift more than a few pounds, mostly because I prefer cardio and had no clue what a mountain climber was. What pushed me was the practical reality of getting older and knowing that if I want to move (and, tbh, keep dancing at a club until the wee hours on occasion) for as long as I plan on doing, I need to devote some time to building my strength. I’m not particularly good at it, but that challenge is just extra motivation and has left me feeling not only physically stronger, but mentally as well. If you are in need of a jolt, too, consider breaking free from your routine.
Something true -- One of the best ways for me to refuel is to make sure that I am calibrating my behavior with my spiritual wellness priorities. During my 2021 intention-setting ritual, I identified my core value that would guide my behavior and action to be “JOY.” If I am feeling emotionally depleted, I’ve noticed that it’s because I’ve veered off course from this moral compass. As the country continues its march into a post-pandemic life and calendars become fuller, I am resolved to remain conscious of this and make sure that the things I’m saying yes to are the things that will reinforce JOY. For me, spending 1:1 time with each of my children brings me immense happiness -- we are able to connect in a relaxed way that we rarely get to when the family is together. I’ve committed to scheduling a special time with each child at least once a week this summer, creating a meaningful moment that leaves me feeling joyful and recharged.
Sight
Blessed be free boobs! Last weekend, when the tank top I wanted to wear didn’t really match any of my bras, I decided to skip the bra instead of the shirt. Much to my delight, I wasn’t alone -- when I got to my destination, the braless were plentiful and seemingly quite happy about it. After a year plus of liberation born of quarantines and permanent athleisure, it seems that many have decided that this is the summer of really letting this garment go. In the words of this magnificent article in the Cut, “ In this post-vaccination summer, bras and their straps and wires and lace and cups can simply step aside — I’m only here to have fun.” Cheers to that!
Sound
Sometimes I randomly turn on a new podcast to see if I can learn something interesting and new. This week, I clicked on Brene Brown’s discussion with Doug Conant on her podcast Dare to Lead. It didn’t disappoint, leaving me with valuable lessons and exercises to make sure that I am leading my company and life via my own personal story.
Taste
I love everything about summer food, especially the taste of grilled corn. It is impossible for me to eat it and not instantly be mentally transported to my favorite barbecues and beach picnics. This is my absolute favorite corn salad recipe and I made it last week for a July 4th party (be warned: it’s spicy, in the best way possible).
Smell
After my month of nonstop travel, I was more than content spending an afternoon snuggling with my ten year-old and taking the first nap I’ve probably had in years. Teagan usually smells like a combo of donuts and curl spray (and more often than not, the smell of a kid who dances several hours a day), and I savored it extra hard knowing she’s about to leave for her first sleepaway camp this week.
Touch
Malachite is my all-time favorite crystal and I’m so excited that we’ll be launching some large clusters as part of our new product launch this week. Malachite is synonymous with emotional strength and has personally served as my literal touchstone during some tough emotional roller coasters -- I still remember the buzz I felt after holding one for the first time. I can’t wait for these beauties to make their way to new homes this week.
