Do less

I'm sorry because I know this probably comes across as a patronizing rec, but it's truly not meant that way. It's also not always practical -- our lives tend to get busy without our permission sometimes (I have two small kids who don't ask permission for needing help and attention at all hours, for example). But I've had to tell myself to "do less" over the years and it has been a liberating mantra when I've felt restless or overwhelmed, and thus far no one has come after me hollering "do more" (at least not directly).

Really, it's like not getting enough sleep; we can cover it up by having coffee or energy drinks or, I don't know, some kind of supplement, or just cultivating a generally grumpy persona, but it's all a band-aid. The only, only way to get enough sleep is to get enough hours of high-quality sleep -- stupid simple, but not stupid easy (source: I, who go to bed at midnight or later almost every night).

Getting so busy and bogged down you feel haggard or ill isn't so different. You can cover it up in all sorts of ways, but the only essential solution is to respect your individual need for balance between activity and rest.

I don't know, maybe this is really just a reminder for myself!