The Doing Well Newsletter | Vol. 6

by Jesse Katches

today in the Doing Well newsletter we’ll talk about…

pt. 1 💆 | some much-needed self-care

pt. 2 🥴 | and deciding to worry less

💆 P A R T  |  O N E

when was the last time you truly did something for yourself? not because it would benefit your work life or because you knew it would make someone else happy, but something you did simply because it would bring you pleasure? even in writing this, i have to stop for a moment and think about the answer for myself because i’m having a hard time conjuring something up.

the other day i decided to step away during a time i would typically be working and instead i spent it cleaning my apartment. now, this isn’t something “just for me” or something that i particularly enjoy, but it was something that allowed me to feel reset and refreshed once completed. but even still, the whole time i was cleaning i couldn’t help but feel as though i was neglecting my work and that i’d better hurry back to my “more important” tasks.

i think many of us are conditioned to feel as though we always need to be doing something related to work and if we’re not then we’re falling behind. but the truth is, devoting proper time to your own self care is one of the best uses of time that i can think of.

so as we approach this holiday weekend (in the U.S.), i want to remind you that it is absolutely ok to take some time away from your very busy life to do something just for yourself. it’s not selfish or lazy, in fact, i believe it’s revitalizing, which in turn better serves you and those around you in the future. i think we could all use a little more time tending to ourselves and for that reason i would encourage you to take some time this coming weekend to do just that. as for me? i think i’ll clear my mind and schedule a massage.

🥴 P A R T  |  T W O

how much time do you spend worrying? worrying about being late, worrying about what others think of you, worrying about different sensations in your body, then worrying about the search results after googling those sensations in your body (bad idea), or just worrying about something that you shouldn’t worry about at all, because let’s face it, we can worry over just about anything.

now ask yourself -  how has all this time i’ve spent worrying benefited my life or the lives of those around me? if i had to guess i would say coming up with an answer to that question may be pretty difficult. because the truth of the matter is, worrying lowers our spirits and in turn, that negative energy is felt by those around us. simply put, worry is of no value. 

the literal definition of worry is: to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.

this past week, i had to take one of my little kitties into the emergency vet (she’s ok ❤️), but as i monitored her situation before taking her in, i found myself worrying. i started thinking about the what ifs, the pain she might be in, and the process of what it would take to help her get better. but as i sat worrying, i realized that my worry was possibly the biggest detriment to the situation because it was causing me to dwell on the troubles and get more anxious because of that. my worry wouldn’t help her feel better, it wouldn’t get her to the vet any faster, and it wouldn’t lead to a positive outlook on the situation. so i realized the best possible thing i could do in that moment was to decide not to worry and instead, remain positive and resolve the situation asap.

im not saying i became indifferent to the outcome, most definitely not, but rather, i cared so much that i wasn’t going to let worry cloud my focus and steal my hope.

i know that deciding not to worry is much easier said than done, especially in a world full of things to worry about, but how much better would life be if you decided that nothing is worth the negative energy and anxiety that comes from worrying? would you feel better? i know i would.

what’s one thing you can stop worrying about today? what’s a worry in your life that you know is only causing yourself or others more harm, and is not doing any good for the situation as a whole? do have something in mind? i find it’s often very impactful to go through some sort of ritual when letting go of the things we no longer need - like our worry. so for that reason, if you’d like, you can join me in deciding on a worry that’s been weighing you down, writing it out, letting it go, and leaving it here ❤️