Hey {{first_name|there}},
Most of us have a point where we stop coping and start just getting through.
The pattern is usually the same.
Everything starts to feel urgent. The days get fuller. Looking after yourself becomes something you'll do after the next deadline.
I've been there. Running several businesses means I hit that wall more than I'd like to admit.
There was a week two years ago where I pushed through every signal and ended up useless to everyone for days. I didn't tell anyone at the time. I just quietly fell apart and hoped nobody noticed.
Now I treat those signals as a reason to pull back.
Today is World Mental Health Day, and I've been thinking about this after the past few weeks in Corfu and Malta.
From the photos, it looked like I was taking time off. In reality they were work trips and I was working more than ever. A change of scenery isn't the same as rest.
It reminded me that you can't always wait for a proper holiday. Sometimes you have to use the small gaps you do have.
Even when I'm travelling for work, I keep a few basics in place. Morning light outside. Barefoot on the ground when I can. A call taken walking rather than sitting at a screen. It doesn't reduce the workload. But it gives my nervous system something to hold onto.
For a long time, I treated rest as something I had to earn by finishing the work first.
But there will always be another decision to make or target to hit. If I wait until everything feels under control, I could be waiting forever.
Now, when everything feels equally urgent, I stop and ask myself what actually needs to happen today.
Usually the answer is smaller than the list in my head.
One thing worth doing this week
Before you pick up your phone tomorrow morning, open the curtains and the windows.
Give yourself at least a few minutes of natural light first. Even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is significantly brighter than anything inside.
Don't stare at the sun if it's out. Just let it reach your eyes.
It takes almost no time. But it tells your body what time it is, which sets the tone for everything that follows.
Then pick up your phone.
Look after yourself,
Tim 💚
P.S. Back to your questions next week. Two topics left: weight and body composition, and digestive health.
P.P.S. Between trips I've been building something I'm excited about. HOS Austin is coming April 2027. Earlybird tickets are live.