Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

I had planned a different post for today, but some sort of respiratory ailment which had been going through my family laid me out and changed my plans. I feel much better and have progressed into the coughing and blowing stage. Hopefully I’ll be back to full strength in a few days. In the meantime, here are a few recent online discoveries I’ve enjoyed recently:

I’m still pondering and digesting the experiences I had caregiving for my mother-in-law and mom as they passed within two months of each other in 2023, and “Ghost Portraits” put some of my feelings from that time into words. 

In “The Radical Act of Slowing Down,” Eric Markowitz discusses society’s obsession with speed and productivity and how it undermines health, relationships, and true success. He reveals something I’ve noticed myself: “Because the more you get done, the faster the cup fills back up. When life becomes an endless game of whack-a-mole, the only winning move is to stop playing. The more efficient you become, the more you are asked to do. The reward for clearing the list is a longer list.” 

The next time I find myself retreating to the couch for comfort TV and snacks, I’m going to review “Feeling Down? 12 Science-Backed Ways to Get Out of a Funk in Just One Day.” These very simple self-care activities will help you “refresh [and] rebalance your mind & body when you feel depleted, exhausted, and are in desperate need of a reset.”  

What if someone told you that happiness, love, and joy exist in you right now, no matter your state of mind (or the state of your to-do list)? “What if I told you,” wrote Jennifer Agugliaro, “that living in a perpetual state of love and joy is your natural state of being?” Read “4 Simple, Heart-Opening Exercises to Fill You with Joy, Love, and Light” to find out more.

I love Courtney Carver’s work (including Gentle, her most recent book), and “7 Simple Shifts That Helped Me Feel Lighter and Happier” is typical of her gentle approach to life. We don’t have to make major changes in order to feel more happiness. 

I love these “Adult Cheat Codes”—why make life unnecessarily hard?  

I dare you not to smile and nod along while watching these guys.

Wishing you a fantastic Friday!