Note: This letter was originally published in our weekly newsletter and is being republished here.
Hey guys,
This newsletter arrives in your inbox later than usual because it was my birthday the other day and my partner and I decided to escape to the coast mid-week to celebrate. It was much needed as Ben and I have been non-stop between building projects and EWP and we realised we hadn’t spent enough quality time together.
Now it’s taken me ages to get to the point where I’m okay with taking time away from work and not getting back to people on email, or direct message or social media. It was easier to juggle when our audience was small. But we now reach about 120,000-130,000 people a month just through our website alone – that’s not including all our social platforms. Our growth has meant that I’ve had to be more diligent with my time and more intentional with how I spend it. I’ve had to learn to say NO.
The huge emotional meltdown I had three years ago taught me some big lessons and that was that I couldn’t DO all the things, BE all the things and be there for everyone. I had to prioritise my time, reflecting on questions like “What’s important to me?” and “How can I make the most impact with limited time and resources”.
I also reviewed my definitions of success (again). The meltdown reminded me that doing more and saying ‘yes’ at the expense of health, family and closest relationships and all the things that I say matter is not the example I wanted to set; I was still participating in the unsustainable culture of faster/bigger/better/more, a culture that has been destroying the planet and our human spirit.
So if you’re struggling to get everything done, feeling guilty for not getting back to people, or generally feeling overwhelmed with the pace of life and all the demands on your time, just know that you’re not alone. Here are some resources that I’ve found useful that has helped me slow down, become more mindful and that may help you:
Podcast Shows / Films:
Cal Newport on Digital Minimalism, The Rich Roll Podcast
Pico Iyer: The Art of Stillness, Oprah Super Soul Conversations
The lies our culture tells us about what matters – and a better way to live by David Brooks, TED Talks Daily
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, The Minimalists
Books:
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
The Artist’s Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self, Julia Cameron
People / Accounts:
Be More with Less, Courtney Carver
Rachael Kable: Mindful Living
The Minimalists
Articles /Posts:
The Art of Slow Living: Chasing Less and Living More
Digital Minimalism: It’s Time to Declutter Your Digital Life
Improve Your Mental Health With These 5 Ecotherapy Activities
Deep Work How I Learned to Focus in the Age of Distraction
7 Mindful Living Apps that Monitor Social Media Usage and Help to Break Digital Addiction
I hope you find these resources helpful as we move into weekend mode!
Peace, love and all that jazz,
Jen xx (Editor-in-Chief)
Recommending reading:
- It’s Time to Stop the Glorification of Busy
- 5 Main Barriers to Sustainable Living and How to Overcome Them
- Climate Activism: Beyond Rebellion to Political and Economic Action
- 9 Top Environmental Books to Learn About Climate Science and Sustainability
- Climate Change: A Climate Scientist Answers Questions From Teenagers
- 5 Inspiring Australian Female Politicians You Should Know
- 30 Things You Can Do If You’re Feeling Helpless About Climate Change
- Greta Thunberg, The 15-Year-Old ‘Radical’ Climate Activist Demanding Systemic Change
Feature image via Unsplash.
