#17 Time off and mind wandering
Hello, my lovely readers,
You might have noticed that I didn't send the newsletter last week, as I should've.
And that's because I finally took some time off to go home and see my parents. A full week of traveling, eating amazing food, being a tourist again, and constantly laughing with my dear ones.
Typically for me, there was some reading involved as I read 2 books and started 2 others 🙃
I'm not back with some big life lessons or enlightenment. Instead, I gave my brain a bit of a break and let my mind wander.
In neuroscience, we talk about the internal attention network and the external attention network. Both are important but quite different. Reflection is part of the internal network, along with processing our experiences and feelings. The thing is, you can't just set time aside or book it in your calendar for you to have time to do nothing. It has to be unplanned and spontaneous.
And it's wonderful to slow down, to daydream, to space out, not to read a ton of books all the time, or be involved in a million things at a time. So it's perfectly normal to take it step by step and say "no" to things.
Just because you slow down doesn't mean in any way that you are lazy, not hardworking enough, or that you're not capable of doing a lot.
Personally, I've found daydreaming quite helpful, from imagining dance moves while listening to a new song to lifting heavy in CrossFit or even picturing myself living in another country. Or even having a cup of coffee while people-watching or stopping to take pictures and being a total tourist.
So, my dear reader, how can you carve time for nothing? What's the gift from mind wandering for you?
On a side note, this time helped me slowly plan what's next for me: starting my coaching certification this October, figuring out how to get new clients, and partially shifting my role internally. Exciting times ahead!
Hope this serves you,
Flo
PS 1: if curious about my travel reading, I highly recommend:
Circe by Madeline Miller - wonderful read about Greek mythology
A river in darkness by Masaji Ishikawa - the story of a man escaping life in North Korea
PS 2: I’d love to hear from you.
If there are topics you’d like me to cover or if you’re curious to know more about anything I wrote so far,
let’s connect.
Grateful for any kind of feedback.
PS 3: Know someone who’s looking for a coach?
I have my own coach, and I found it personally such a gift to have someone support me in my growth. So, if you’re interested or know someone who’s looking for a thinking partner, I’d be grateful if you can send them my way 😊