I imagined how I would spend a few days without my 3 kids at home.

They’ve gone off to their respective summer programs but given the different timings, I’d have just 4 days for me to worry about nothing but moi.

How would I spend them?

Sounds ambitious but I planned to revise my course curriculum, pre-write weekly emails to get ahead of myself, clean out my exploded camera roll, finally tweeze my eyebrows, get back to a list of friends I've been too busy to respond to, make my kids’ baby albums once and for all, and clean out my closet.

Again. (Favorite activity).

Maybe I’d even have time to get a pedicure, see what binge watching tv feels like, go for a trail run, and sleep in every single day so my sleep score could finally surpass the 60s.

Instead?

I got sick.

Does that ever happen to you?

When you go and go on some sort of autopilot, like my friend driving his Tesla without his hands. Then all of a sudden you stop and your body falls onto itself.

I often tell my clients, "If you don’t listen to your body’s whispers, you’ll soon have to manage its screams."

Clearly, I ain’t listening!!

My muscles and mind have been whispering for me to slow down for months. But with the pace of NYC, increasing work, and 3 kids going from end of school into summer, it's been hard to hear.

It’s like I had my two index fingers in my ears with my tongue sticking out to the universe saying, “Oh I got this! Who needs downtime?”

Turns out, I do.

And you do too.

It’s about all that woo-woo self-care I love so much. But let’s face it. Who’s drawing a bath and lighting candles before making their vision board this week?

Anyone?

Exactly.

Working, parenting, socializing, all of it. It’s hard to find time to jump out of autopilot, let alone draw a bubble bath.

So here is my suggestion.

Play more.

Do you need to see the studies that show how play is an essential part of your self-care?

You can find balance to your busy - or boring - days by choosing to do what lights you up.

Brings you into flow and the present.

It’s about choosing you and choosing your way to play.

Especially over a holiday weekend!

• If you’re a Thinker, can you up your Wordle game and add new puzzles?
• If you’re a Mover, can you hit the beach or trail for a run this weekend?
• If you’re a Creator, can you try a new recipe for the BBQ or use the downtime to make photo albums like I planned to do?
• If you’re a Connector, can you host the party? Or reach out to an old friend?
• If you’re an Explorer, can you see what taking a new path to get there feels like? Or shake up the holiday plan by adding a spontaneous outing?

Which one sounds like you?

What’s your play language? D

What’s your plan to let go of the busy and have a bit of fun?

It’s not an either-or. You need both.

I’ll be trying to get better on my couch but you can be sure I’ll have the crosswords right next to me.

With fierce love,
Alison