“Be gentle with yourself.” 🤗 ~Morgan Harper Nichols

By Jessica L. Williams • Issue #269 • View online

Shout out to Bex, Brandy, Kim, and Emile for buying me coffees! ☕️ Thank you!

Bex is an entertainment writer serving fresh takes on celebs and pop culture in Obsessed!, a weekly newsletter on Substack.

Brandy is a fantastic coach and artist. She is currently creating gorgeous one-of-a-kind hand-painted earrings. Can’t wait to wear mine!

–

Last week, I shared that I was feeling overwhelmed and how my mental health wasn’t the best.

I’m not sure it has gotten better this week. It’s still been a difficult time, but I’m putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to move forward. And in the midst of it all, there is lots of encouragement to keep going and that things will get better. Along with help coming from unexpected places (looking at you, Andrew and Alice!)

I keep seeing messages from the universe to be gentle with myself. And it reminded me of something I heard Kendra Adachi (aka The Lazy Genius) talk about previously - how sometimes you’re in a season where you’re in the water. And during those times, it’s important to say, “Hey, you know what? I’m in the water. I don’t have to try to get out of it. That’s just the season that I’m in.”

During that season, it’s essential to identify your life jackets, those things that will help you during this overwhelming time. Right now, mine are:

🥰 You - I appreciate the support, hugs, and sharing of your own stories.
💃🏽 Dance - if I can get to dance class at least once a week, it just helps me feel so much better.
😮‍💨 Breathwork - taking breaks and doing some belly breathing helps me feel more centered.
🍹 Tequila - Sometimes, you need a shot with lime to take the edge off.

What are your life jackets?

Be gentle with yourself if you are dealing with your own overwhelming, challenging mental health moments. You may be in the water right now, which is OK. Your mission then is to identify those things that can keep you afloat during this time.

I’ll leave you with part of Morgan’s poem that inspired this week’s subject line:

“Be gentle when you are

putting a smile on your face and on the inside,

and you do not know how you actually feel.

Lean into grace that reminds you:

there is no shame if it takes time to work through this.

There is still time to heal. “

On to the picks!

Note: This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my link and make a purchase, that means I may receive “thank you money” at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.

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#loves 😍

🎧. Listening: Happy Hits! This playlist is filled with feel-good songs. I usually listen while I’m getting ready to start work in the mornings, setting a positive tone for the day.

📺. Watching: Maid. I started this show a little bit ago but just finished watching the last six episodes. What a powerful show, based on a true story. Alex is a mom who leaves an abusive situation and struggles through poverty and homelessness to take care of herself and her daughter.

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8:23 AM - 16 Feb 2022

I’m a Lazy Person Who Rejects 99% of Self-Help Tips. Here’s the One Trick that Kept Me Productive, Even in 2020.

An oldie and goodie from Laura Belgray. The one trick that kept her productive in 2020? She used a trigger and reward system to help her meet her goals. For example, buying her iced coffee every morning and sitting it by her laptop was her signal that it was time to write.

This system is such a good reminder for me, too, as I’ve gotten out of my morning pages habit. And I think that helps me get all the gunk out of my mind before I start the day. What triggers and rewards can you set up to meet your goals?

laurabelgray.medium.com • Share

100 Things To Publish In The Next 100 Days To Grow Your Audience

“An audience isn’t the number of people who consume your creations — it’s the number of people you can reach with your NEXT creation.”

Because I know you are looking to grow your audience this year, Josh Spector’s content framework can help. The idea is that you write signature content pieces and share ideas from those on social media. That, plus a mix of curated content over ten days, can then help inspire the next ten day cycle of content. And on and on.

medium.com • Share

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😍. Last issue’s top pick was: 35 Lessons from 35 Years of Newsletter Publishing

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#lifevibes

This is my lock-screen reminder to breathe...🧘🏾‍♀️

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