April Wellness Note

Hi friend,

I’ve tried to cross the threshold of winter into spring as mindfully as possible.

Celebrating the equinox, setting new intentions, and prepping to do a spring cleanse has helped. But as much as I’m excited for warmer weather to arrive, there’s part of me that wants to stay in the cozy darkness of winter – having a pending snowstorm as an excuse to cancel plans 🙃

Honestly, the search for that elusive balance has felt hard this past month.

It’s not just work-life balance; it’s balance between giving and receiving, exercise and rest, saying yes and saying no.

Balance between being strong in your values but also sensitive to others’ needs, disciplined but also spontaneous and fun. Finding self-acceptance and also embracing self-improvement. Being a good partner, but also a good employee/boss. Advancing your career but also building a side hustle, just in case that doesn’t work out.

All these things we must hold. But what if it isn't possible to be both/and at the same time?

What if we can only be one or the other in any given moment?

Rather than finding that perfect middle point—not too much or too little—what if we let ourselves oscillate between the two?

Sometimes we are in seasons of “work,” sometimes a season of “life.”

It doesn't even have to be a whole season; it could just be a day, or an hour of efforting and responsibilities so that the next can be softer, sillier, more easeful.

We need both ends of the spectrum. And we need to be able to freely flow between them as our lives unfold. I believe this is possible, and we all get to decide what season we’re in.

With the fiery energy of spring, Aries season, and a full moon this week, for me this is a season of werk and doing all the things! But within that, there will be micro-moments of play and rest.

This is how I’m thinking about balance these days. Let me know if this resonates with you :)

Lots of love,

Marta

3 things supporting my balance right now:

• Listening to It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work, by the cofounders of Basecamp. An inspirational manifesto of how to run a calm company 😌
• Doing a spring cleanse - deep cleaning the house, the car, the yard, my diet, and my psyche.
• Floor time - a phrase I learned from my coworkers, which simply means... laying down on the floor for a few minutes to decompress after a day of work. Can also be done in the middle of the day (or anytime).