Reset to (almost) Zero
A tiny bouquet of flowers from my garden
“Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in again?” Solid advice from any tech support friends I have ever encountered, and it works for humans too.
I have been in a big-time rut of negativity and overwhelm. I keep wishing that I am in Kenya already. I am not trying to wish my summer away, but I am desperate for a break, and for an escape from reality if I am honest.
But that is no way to live…to wish for an escape. And I am reminding myself this weekend that my reality isn’t half bad. I almost didn’t write this week, and I skipped writing last week. I wasn’t feeling creative and I was feeling plain old tired.
I needed a reset.
Author and Minimalist Colin Wright suggests that we practice a weekly “reset to zero”. He talks about how things like cleaning our house, getting caught up on our email, or having all of our laundry done, can be very mundane and boring but it sets us up for unlimited potential. Our environment and our to-do lists can then be reshaped into whatever we see fit. I think resetting every thing to zero is ambitious honestly, but resetting some or most areas allows us to clear our internal clutter. Resetting is about seeing how well you can focus when the little stresses of the day-to-day are managed.
Minimalism, which is something that makes resetting to zero especially easy, is a topic for another time. But minimalism isn’t what you might think; it is about having less clutter but more than that it is about having more clarity. I practice minimalism, and as part of it I practice resetting often. When I return home from errands, I clear out my purse and reset it by removing the notes I left with, or the receipts I return with. I reset my kitchen before every grocery order, so it is easier to know what I need, and to put away what I bring home. I have been really shit though, at resetting my mind.
I recently had a psychic reading at a wellness expo. Yes, you read that correctly. And while all of that is to be taken with a grain of salt, it can also be really interesting and almost comforting, depending on how you use the information. The person who did my reading told me I have been rushing too much and haven’t taken the time to slow down and appreciate the little things. Me, who prides myself on appreciating the little things!! But damn it if she wasn’t right.
So, today (Sunday) I worked on a reset, and on appreciating the little things. And it feels amazing.
Today, I:
Had a beautiful slow breakfast of French toast, fruit, bacon and my favorite local coffee. And I drank every sip of that coffee without having to reheat it a bunch of times!
I cleaned the house from top to bottom (this is easier to do if you are a minimalist by the way) and I even mopped the floors that were in dire need of being cleaned. They feel amazing now.
I scattered cotton balls with my favorite essential oils, tucked behind baskets and photo frames, and in corners that aren’t visible. Resetting the way my house smells for me is a form of self care. Honestly.
I got caught up on a few tasks for the Surfside Studio Tour which I organize with a group of amazing local makers (you can sign up for my newsletter for details coming soon)
I practiced gratitude and wrote a hand-written thank-you card to a friend which I will put in snail mail tomorrow
I worked on the images for my upcoming 2024 Calendar (details will also be in my newsletter soon)
I sat in the sun for 20 minutes
I washed the bed sheets, and ironed the clothes I had washed the day before
I cooked a nice dinner and really enjoyed the colors and smells as I was doing it, and I sat down (yes, sat down!) to eat it.
And, I picked a tiny bouquet of flowers from my garden. That was ultimately the icing on the cake! It was the little things that are really, big things.
Tomorrow is Monday and things will not feel as calm, but I am set up for a good week. After I exercise later (because that is one of the most important things for my mental wellness) I am going to sip some tea and enjoy my clean, re-set house. I think part of what makes a reset successful is reflecting on the work you did, and realizing that you are in a good place for whatever is next.
My above list may seem like a lot, but a tip that I use often and recommend, is when it feels like you don’t have time to do the little things that make the big differences, start by setting a timer. Just as a test. You would be surprised how much you can actually get done in just five minutes, or in two-minutes for that matter. Then with this information like ammunition, you can remind yourself that the thing you are dreading, will only take a very short amount of time. Rather than saying “I don’t have time to do that”. We are all more in control of our time than we allow ourselves to believe, and I need this reminder often too.
While I sip my tea later I am going to try to work on resetting my mind as well. I really feel like everything I did today helped with any of my negative energy, any anxiety I was carrying around, and any sense of overwhelm I had. But, it is a constant work in progress. I am a constant work in progress. We all are. And we all need to unplug and plug back in again regularly.
What is something that you do to reset yourself on the weekend? Or on a Tuesday for that matter? What are some ways that you work to reset your mind, and your mental wellness? How often do you take time to unplug and plug back in again?
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