EoR No. 27: Slow it down
Plus, rejecting toxic productivity, money forecasting, how to support public schools, “professionalism” as discrimination and more
Top of mind
I’m craving a lack of urgency. I don’t know if it’s aging or burnout or what, but I need things to slow down. I’ve been quiet quitting social media, moving my Substack reading back into my email inbox (away from the app, which is officially just more social media), giving myself nothing to do on my phone but read, listen to music or (increasingly, nostalgic) podcasts, do yoga or practice Spanish. I’m reading physical library books. Enjoying evergreen content. I read news digests a day late, and guess what? It’s fine to know about stuff 24 hours after it happens!
It’s been about a decade-long process of stripping away social media and seeing all the ways our culture tries to keep me frantic. I’ll always fight it — always be occasionally sucked back in — but I don’t buy the urgency anymore. I don’t believe life has to move that fast. I don’t believe I have to move that fast. I’ve been slowing down for a long time, but I’ve just recently realized I’m not a failure for doing it.
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Here’s what you might have missed at Healthy Rich and other places online lately!
🥑 ICYMI at Healthy Rich
🔗 Things to catch
“Contrary to what toxic productivity wants us to believe: Humans are not machines designed to maintain consistent output from dawn to dusk,” says ADHD writer
.In a disaster, will $100 tucked inside an envelope in your nightstand make the difference? Financial educator
ponders.I was back on Kathy Oneto’s Sustainable Ambition podcast to talk about the intertwined realities of work, money and wellness — catch it wherever you get podcasts!
Financial coach
shares how to use money forecasting instead of budgeting.Thanks to
for passing this my way — and to for teaching me that “dana” is a Buddhist concept for basically how I try to live my life: “The time, money, and resources I find myself with aren’t mine in any meaningful way, at this level. They’ve simply landed with me for the moment.”Love these ideas from
on how to support public schools even if you’re not a parent (because good public schools are good for everyone!!).“What if setting limits isn’t about restricting ourselves or fixing ourselves, but about rebellion?” and other cognitive reframes against a world that wants to keep you buying and scrolling, from
.A good reminder from
to worry less.“All discrimination needs to do to go on discriminating is redefine “unprofessional” to be synonymous with whoever it’s working to exclude,” writes
in How to Hide Discrimination.“The race for Governor in Wisconsin is not just about one state. It is about the direction of our country.” Thanks,
, for supporting my favorite state rep, Francesca Hong!!
💬 Let’s discuss
What’s slowing down — or could slow down — in your life? Where do you feel frantic? Which plates are you spinning that need to drop?
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I feel this so much! As a Sicilian at heart who lives in NYC, it is a daily battle to fight against the glamorized hustle culture here. Worse to me than even the glamorization of hustle culture, is that it is posited as the *only* way to be successful (never mind I don't buy into the standard definition of "success"). And I agree with you on news digests: I've found a few 10-min news roundups every morning to be the best and most sane way for me to stay informed.