You may have noticed it’s been a little while since I sent out a Golden Nuggets newsletter. There’s a story there.
After the last newsletter I sent, Martha told me, “You put so much into these newsletters, sometimes it’s hard for me to digest it all.”
To make my newsletters valuable, I try to fill them with goodies. I enjoy the little things, the quotes, the statistics, the TED talks, etc.
Yesterday, I heard Shankar Vedantam, host of the Hidden Brain podcast, ask his guest, Anna Lembke, is there ever too much of a good thing. Lembke is the author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.
The short answer is yes. There are times when there is too much of a good thing. Especially in our day when everything is super-sized, faster, and better. More. More. More.
It takes intention and mindfulness to pull back from the overwhelm.
Or, as happened to me in June, it can take a bout of depression, followed by laryngitis, a cold, and days in bed, when my mind and body were telling me to cut back. Simplify. Refocus.
Even in putting together today’s newsletter, I find myself drifting back into old habits of wanting more, more, more.
Sometimes, less is more.
Take time to recharge, so you can,
Shine Brightly!
Stef
(xe/xem)
P.s. Be sure to download Listen to the Call: 9 Gentle Whispers Encouraging a Restorative Break
Golden Nuggets
Golden Resource: Listen to the Call 9 Gentle Whispers Encouraging a Restorative Break (Download PDF)
Golden Word: sabbatical from Greek sabbatikos “of the Sabbath,” from Hebrew shabath “he rested” Example: After pouring herself into her work, she wisely took a sabbatical to recharge her mind and body.
Golden Quote: In this game, everyone needs a break to refuel, recharge, and jump back in full throttle. – Helen Edwards, author
Golden Statistic: Some 59% of workers are now at least moderately burned out. (Aflac study as reported in Time Magazine)
Golden Tip: Check your energy levels regularly.
Golden Question: Is it time you took a break?