84. A quick roundup #13
Small steps towards balance and integration.
interlude
With a frenzy of setting goals and making new starts, January can feel overstimulating. Here are some paths I’ve pursued to feel more regulated and calm.
resources
Meditation. I’d had this as an intention for 2025 before starting the year, and then I was snookered into paying for the Open app!
I kid, it was my choice. I blame an Instagram ad that announced a collaboration with James Blake, my favourite artist; I have to hear anything James Blake makes. The joke was still on me, because of course the track with the most James Blake influence was the last in a 21-day series, and I was feeling too proper to go out of order.
The Open recordings are usually two parts, focusing on breathwork first and meditation second. I can be skeptical of five- or ten-minute habits that promise to make a huge difference. However, the time quickly added up: 21 twelve to fifteen-min sessions totalled 271 minutes. That’s over four hours, over the course of three weeks. I’ll admit I wasn’t consistent; sitting in quiet makes me antsy, which is probably the whole point. By the end of the trial, I decided not to continue with this subscription, but rather try out other free meditations until I find a style that suits me.
Here is a random one I did the other night that put me right to sleep:Getting enough fibre. It’s fascinating that scientists consider our gut as our “second brain”: once I heard this, I wanted to learn more about improving my health through nutrition. Podcasts such as Feel Better, Live More and have a lot of great insights and actionable tips.
To that end: it’s been known that women don’t get tend to enough protein, but what about fibre? Apparently fibre not only makes you feel full (discouraging snacking) but also helps maintain the integrity of the microbiome. I’ve been using flax seeds or psyllium husk pills with every meal for the last few months, and my energy feels much more regulated. Food comas still happen, but they hit a lot less hard!Getting enough electrolytes. I’ve also been exploring nervous system regulation, and this episode of The Liz Moody Podcast was especially eye-opening. While I haven’t taken the dive into a full “dopamine detox,” I have become more conscious of my habit to reach for stimuli such as short YouTube videos or constant background noise. One of the podcast’s most actionable tips was to drink more water with electrolytes whenever I feel a craving. Whether the craving is for a sweet treat or another video, the pause for hydration definitely helps, and can feel like a treat in and of itself!
What has been brightening your daily or monthly rituals? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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