Believe it or not, I have days when I don't want to show up.

When things feel too hard, too murky, too ugh.

This is where I lean into the minimum.

Asking myself- What is the minimum amount that I need to put into this to have it count, to keep things from totally going off the rails (and creating more stuff I don't have the stuff to deal with)?

When you're just not feeling it, giving yourself permission to show up with the bare minimum and calling it good enough.

Not telling yourself stories about how you should do better, know better, be better. Just honoring the mood of what is so that you can realign, regroup, and reenergize yourself.

For me this week, it looked like-

• getting the sleep I need to recover from several nights of sleep sabotage and a cold that is hanging on

• doing the bare minimum to maintain my walk streak

• washing (but not folding) several loads of laundry

• mostly staying off social media, news and podcasts to not take on anyone else's vibes when my own feel so low

And as I did those things, it gave me some momentum-

• started cleaning out my desk work area to better suit how I want to use the space

• put all of the crafts projects on my 'to-do' list in a box (plan to DO them, TBD)

• connecting with friends and family in phone chats

• folded laundry and cleaned out kids' closet (perfect to do before putting in the clean stuff)

• took an extra long walk that showed me just how important time in nature is for me

This practice can be used for a range of scenarios. To help you better identify where you might need to focus your restorative actions, read this journal entry about the  different types of rest  you may be needing to realign, regroup and reset.

So as we close out the final days of February, take notice of all of the times you embodied courage, tapped into your strength and had the heart to go on.

Even when you really didn't want to.

Meet yourself where you're at and go from there.

Where are you at today? What areas do you need to give yourself permission to do the bare minimum?

Use this prompt to help you name where you can pull back a bit so that you can regroup and take better aligned action. And if journaling is something you’ve not quite found your groove on yet, check out my free guide that helps eliminate the self-talk that holds you back from freeing your mind on the page.

Reminder for yourself

If you need a reminder about all of the ways you are showing up for yourself, grab this helpful reminder. This high quality window cling looks great on your bathroom or bedroom mirror or in your cozy corner where you can look out the window. Take a moment each day to repeat these intentionally curated grounding affirmations to guide your thoughts and self-talk toward living a life that lights you up.

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Stephanie Rose is a mom, wife, business owner and a forever student in finding ways to know herself better. She acts as guide for your own journey, sharing insights, tools and practices to help you remember your magic and live a life that lights you up. Sign up for her newsletter and check out her free resources.

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