Tag: rest

thought of the week: sundays are for strategizing

on sundays, i tend to take a slower approach to my day. whether it is waking up when my body tells me to, not over scheduling the day, taking the extra 20 minutes in the tub, creating a space i would want to be in during the upcoming week or spending an extra chunk of time on facetime with my twin, sundays have really become about filling my own cup.

as i was transitioning out of a previous role at work, a post by one of my favorite women on earth, brianna, resonated with me.

“rest is a strategy, not a setback.

protect your peace. it’s part of the plan.

you don’t have to for it all to do it right.

love, b

@the.b.maven”

it is wild how those closest to us seem to know exactly how to meet us where we need to be met AND challenge ideologies we’ve previously held. brianna is exceptionally good at this (give her account a follow on ig – @the.b.maven).

even as a therapist, there are times where i would treat rest as something i had to earn. sometimes that looked like not saying no to the extra work i was not being compensated for. sometimes that looked like agreeing to the obligatory social event when it would have been better for me to spend some much needed time solo, especially as an introvert. sometimes that looked like taking the phone call i knew i did not have the bandwidth for and knowing it meant getting an hour less of sleep before a very full day. guess who wins when rest is treated as a setback? trust me when i tell you this:

NOT YOU.

and the real kicker? your loved ones also are not winning. the people around the unrested version of me are getting a fraction of what i bring to the table when i am carving out time to tend to myself. my oura ring does not recognize my sleep score and to be honest, neither do i. that is a good thing.

if the last few months have taught me anything, i would say this: treating rest like a strategy to be able to show up and show the fuck out is grossly underrated. try it for the rest of 2026 and let me know how it works for you.

xoxo,

k.tap

thought of the week: give yourself grace

tonight’s post is short and sweet.

i had been beating myself up for being tired all week. after a much needed facetime call with my friend michelle this morning, i realized how intense the last few weeks have been. this week specifically was totally draining at work, i started training with my wellness coach (that deserves its own post – my mom compared my walk to tinman from wizard of oz), there were back to back nights where i didn’t even log four hours of sleep and in two days, it is the anniversary of my uncle’s death. any of the aforementioned on its own would be a lot but all together? intense doesn’t begin to describe it.

after getting home from brunch with an old friend from high school, i immediately changed into pajamas and just sat. i truly needed to just do nothing. it reminded me of this quote i stumbled across last month from faith broussard cade:

“instead of: ‘i feel so lazy for being exhausted all the time.’ try: ‘i’m grateful for my body’s natural ability to perceive when it needs rest.’ give yourself grace.”

tonight, i am giving myself grace.

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: there are many ways to be productive

hey lovelies.  it has been a minute since i have posted.  if i am being honest, i have been feeling depleted for a number of reasons.  i have been shitting bricks over the upcoming election, i am back at work full time (and seeing my students be in rough shape after being out of school for so long breaks my heart), the heat and air quality in california has been actual trash, more innocent black men are being killed at the hands of the police and it just seems like the amount of grief, loss and trauma has been immeasurable.

 

i was asked recently how i would describe 2020 in three words.  my answer?  tumultuous, unpredictable relentless.

 

even with those words ringing true for me, i have seen so many people pushing themselves to “be productive” – but what does that mean?  i think there are plenty of ways to be productive.  every person isn’t spending quarantine learning how to cook, sew, start a business or train to be a body builder.  for some, being productive is carving out time to do things that bring you joy or that are good for you.  maybe it is taking a long bath or having a dance party in your living room.  maybe it is is a virtual happy hour or reading a book.  maybe it is organizing a closet or starting a compost bin.  maybe it is nothing at all.

 

that’s right, maybe it is nothing at all.

 

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“note to self: rest is productive. rest is productive. rest is productive. rest is productive. rest is productive. rest is productive.” -wise words from one of my favorite twitter accounts

 

rest, is in fact, productive.  in order to be able to tackle that lengthy to do list or to have energy to take care of ourselves & others, rest is vital.  sometimes, that is exactly what we need.  sometimes, the dishes, dusting and taking out the trash can wait.  the world will not stop spinning if you turn off your alarm clock on your day off work.

 

how do you define productivity?

 

xoxo,

k. tap