i’ve got the rhythm in me
Ever said YES to doing/ completing/ creating/hosting/ taking charge of…
THE THING
…and then struggled like a one-finned fish swimmin' upstream to actually do the work?
Yeah, me too.
And, you've gotta know, we're not alone.
The struggle to SHOW UP, again & again-- to persevere-- is real, even if we believe our work is bringing something good into the world.
Like right now, I'm working hard to bring my first journal to completion, and it seems as though every day as I get ready to approach my laptop for a work session, my mind is suddenly deciding that it's time to really deep clean the corners of each floorboard like I saw my grandmother do--using a hairpin to really get the accumulated dust out. [Note: Ummm, “hairpin cleaning” is something I have NEVER done in the almost 30 years I've lived in this house.]
Or, maybe I need to spend time organizing my Christmas gathering now, you know, just so I don't get accused of throwing something together at the last minute.[Really, Brain? Really?]
When I can catch myself in the midst of one of these mental ambushes, I can feel recognize its ridiculousness. But, still, I spend waste more time than I'd like wrangling weird, wayward thoughts.
Can you relate, even a little?
In the Well-Seasoned Woman's world, we recognize that mind games like this are a very human part of the Time to Hang On.
In recent newsletters, we've followed our fictional Dolly as she engages in the creative work of putting a new music album into the world. To (re)read about what her Saying Hello seasoning is about, click here, and to catch up on how what it looks like for her (and us!) to transition from Saying Hello to Hanging On, click here.
why do we resist our workflow?
Well, we're human. Period. That means, sometimes attempting to get ‘er done all comes together in a creative outpouring of effort and inspiration.
(Most) other times, not so much. We find ourselves having to bare-knuckle hang on, minute by minute to get across the finish line.
Figuring out why it happens and how we might begin to address it all is super worthy of a newsletter… or three.
It's definitely a case of research being Me-search, ‘cause I need it too, so let’s dig in to a couple of the biggest things we need ot understand about the BIG RESIST.
#1 We've been culturally (mis)conditioned
We live in a culture that rewards unrelenting productivity, and disregards--and even penalizes--anything with even a whiff of what it labels slacking off --to the great detriment of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
I bet that you, like me, have heard more than one person say something like, “Oh, I'll rest when I'm dead." NOTE: The person we heard might even have been ourselves. (Bless our tiny 'ole overworked hearts!)
If we were to chart the culturally rewarded standard for energy, focus, and productivity, it'd look something like this:
If this looks exhausting, unrealistic, and more than a little strangely flat all at once to you, then we are in agreement.
But guess what?
This cuturally accepted expectation is so well entrenched that we'll need a lotta love and know-how to free our bodies & brains from its thorny hold--which we need to do because frankly, practicing such nonsense over and over is literally and figuratively killing us.
#2 We haven't been taught enough about our internal, natural clock- wiring.
Ever heard of your ultradian rhythms? No?
Until the last couple of years, neither had I.
But, it turns out that understanding & working with our ultradian rhythms is THE recipe for creating & sustaining VIBRANCY & GOODNESS when it comes to approaching our self- appointed tasks, regular work days, and all our creative projects.
Chances are, you're more familiar with the term circadian rhythms--which divide each 24-hour period into ACTIVE & RESTING halves and help regulate timely maintenance of behavioral, physiological, and biological bodily functioning.
Well, our ultradian rhythms are our DNA-embedded, biological rhythms that operate for shorter periods and at higher frequencies than our circadian rhythms do.
This means that in each 24-hour period, we experience one completed circadian rhythm cycle and multiple ultradian rhythmic cycles.
By learning to identify our body's ultradian rhythms (energetic highs & lows), we can practice working WITH each cycle to support multiple peak performances and multiple mini-breaks that together form a flawless flow of nurturance and protection for our bodies, brains, hearts, and spirits.
Check out the sample chart I created below.
takeaways to practice
There is SO MUCH to unpack about our magnificent, naturally gifted, ultradian rhythms, but due to the constraints of the newsletter format, I'm selecting the most basic of ideas for you to begin getting curious about & start practicing in ways that work for you & the life you're creating.
Just know, there is tons of real science to back up each of these takeaways, okay?
1st: practice a morning minute
Wake up & rather than immediately checking your phone or jumping out of bed, take a minute to visualize how you'd like your day to go.
Picture yourself smiling & alertly relaxed, interacting well with others, and practicing repeated cycles of EFFORTING & RECOVERING in ways that show love for your body, brain, heart, and spirit.
Maybe say one of the seasonal affirmations featured below.
Picture yourself getting stuff done & being pleasantly tired & ready for bed at day's end.
After one minute of visualizing, rise & get your day moving.
2nd: practice hanging on/hanging in
Once you begin the work portion of your day (however you define this in your current season of life), practice focusing and efforting for a solid hour & then check in with yourself. If you're still “in the zone,” keep going for another 30 minutes and check in again.
If at THAT point you're still in the zone, repeat for ONE more 30-minute chunk of concentrated work time before a self-enforced break time.
3rd: practice listening to your body
If at the first two check in points--60-minute & 90-minute, you in any way feel the urge to STEP BACK (You get hangry, droopy, distracted, foot-tapping fidgety, or you feel a hankering to go the bathroom, change scenery, get a snack or drink, etc.) then just know that your body is working beautifully & it's to be commended for showing up for your highest good!
The very best thing you can do to return all that love? Move on to Take an Ultradian Rhythm Break right away.
But, no matter what, after 120 minutes, move on to the break. Your body & brain biologically need it.
4th: practice taking an ultradian rhythm break
After 1-2 hours of concentrated work time, your body and brain need several minutes to detoxify, repair, replenish, rebalance, & reorganize.
How much time?
Twenty minutes is the ideal, but even five minutes is a step in the right direction. Start where you are & use what you have to create positive change in your life.
What should you do during the break?
Short answer: Shift gears.
Have you been sitting quietly & thinking intently? Then your break might mean doing a little “shake out” dance while humming & not thinking about anything in particular.
Been moving around in a frenzy? Then your break might mean getting still, taking some deep, focused belly breaths and mindfully drinking a full glass of water.
Experiment to see what works for you, okay? The goal is to return to the work table feeling calmer and refreshed.
NOTE: Try to avoid overloading on screen time, or on sugar, caffeine and/or nicotene during your Ultradian Rhythm Break, okay? This is about addressing the needs of our bodies in brains in ways that respect our natural wiring. Seeking to override the biological need for downtime by artificially “ramping it up” results in the accumulation of a lot of molecular debris that eventually leads to a slew of physical and mental deficits.
I suspect that one of the big reasons why so many crazy ideas still sometimes surface just as I'm approaching a workflow is that my body remembers the many years that I drove it to work for hour upon hour upon hour without any hint of an Ultradian Rhythm Break, refusing to stop or go to the bathroom or regroup, just pushing until I was nothing more than a lumpen mass of humanity afterwards.
I'm doing better, but, it takes awhile because the faithful, hardworking body really does keep the score.
Here's the thing we need to keep reminding our bodies and each other:
Working WITH our naturally embedded rhythms is like sailing our “energetic ship by working WITH, instead of against the Wind.
It's one of the things we Well-Season Women show up to practice, one breath & hour & day & month & season & year at a time until we are as smooth a sailor as Mama Nature herself.
