Happy July, friends! 

 

The end of June I deactivated my IG and FB. There were a few reasons, but the biggest was that my screen time stats had been increasing for weeks and lots of that time was spent on social media scrolling. And I wasn't scrolling with intent, I was mindlessly scrolling…for what seemed like hours. I was annoying myself but still couldn't stop. Additionally, the algorithm was doing a bit too much. All that to say- I needed a break. 

 

Now what surprised me was how many people asked if I was “okay” as a response to deactivating the accounts.   

 

I needed a break and that was it. But it got thinking about responses to rest. Taking time to rest shouldn't be cause for concern, friends.

 

At the same time, an organization that a friend works at took their period of “collective rest” from July 1- July 10. Every year the entire organization shuts down twice a year- in the summer and again in the winter. Every year when I see this announcement, I'm thrown that the leadership prioritizes the entire staff's well-being. It doesn't seem like wellness and rest are top of mind for employers.

 

More than ever, this year I am reminded of the benefits and beauty of pausing to rest and reset. It doesn't need to be a vacation or some experience that's costly. It can look like going to bed earlier, taking a midday nap, having a “slow” morning, saying no to weekend plans so you can have a few hours to yourself….there's so many ways that rest can be prioritized. I'm still working on it, but let me tell you something, napping has been my favorite activity lately. 😴 

 

-Jordan 

 

ps: I've had this newsletter completed for over a week, but haven't put it out, and now (like right this moment) I'm in the Poconos at a Rest and Reclaim Retreat!