Finding Solitude In This Summer
“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” — Henry David Thoreau
It’s raining as I write this, in fact. The sky is thick with gray clouds. I have a laptop on my lap as I write. I didn’t pay enough attention to these long days until now!
I didn’t sit with gratitude at my patio, watching the last of the light disappear at 9PM, thanking the sun for its strength and vibrance at this time of year.
Days are going by so damn quickly.
It was supposed to be a Hot Girl Summer. I was supposed to be celebrating myself, enjoying no COVID-19 restrictions after 2.5 years, and generally living my best life.
That was the plan, and I was happy with it. Hot girl summer was on!
We all needed a light and fun summer after a 2 full years of pandemic life. I was hopeful. I was ready.
Last weekend during my long walk — sometimes I walk for miles, as I meandered along the asphalt path, my mind went silent.
I settled into a bench and sat in the light rain, alone. I saw the trees and sky as if for the first time.
In that solitude, I felt peace and witnessed my life from a great distance. My schedule had been packed for months barely moving from my home office, and until that bench, I couldn’t see any of this.
It was only in this moment of solitude that my path forward became clear.
Hot girl summer was canceled, and I made it my summer of self-care instead.
It sounds less glamorous, but it’s exactly what I needed. I didn’t need to live large. I needed to live small and to pay attention to the details. I didn’t get the light and happy summer I expected. Instead, I got to work on my healing.
Hot Girl Summer plans shelved, I dove into Healing Summer, Recovery Summer, and the summer that just might change the rest of my life.
I aim for a softer life
There is so much pressure from people around to go out, have fun, visit places.
Self-compassion is an ongoing practice. My self-care varied from day-to-day.
I developed daily routines to support my well-being. I modified my exercise plan to allow for more rest but also worked in shorter but more intense workouts in the time that I allotted for fitness.
I focused some effort at better managing my time to have better work-life balance, and I began practicing mindfulness with more consistency.
Every week, I learned how to love myself better. It’s not glamorous or exciting, but it’s real and important.
Share your summer plans and what are you up to. I would love to hear them.
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