Monday, 5/4/20: Talking about freedom, houseplants and air drying your hair

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter. Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday, a short story and a roundup of positive thoughts to get your week started.

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.  

Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?

Step 3: What is my intention for this week? 

GRATITUDE: From my weekend, I am thankful for the inspiring content I consumed, conversations/time spent with my mom and the beautiful weather.

TODAY: I am most excited about using a new planner I bought at Target yesterday. (Yes, I was that student who got excited about their new school supplies – ha!)

INTENTION: Going to recycle my intention from last week because I really enjoyed it: my intention for this week is to reach out and send love to one friend or family member each day.

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂

Lesson of the Week: The Joy of Freedom

I’m reading an interesting book right now called Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. 

Talk about a great title, right?! I saw it while perusing my library’s collection of e-books and promptly put myself on the wait list without bothering to read the description. 

I recently received access and am enjoying it so far. Although, I have to admit that it’s a little different than expected. I think I automatically assumed it would include “happiness hacks” or be about small habit tweaks. Instead, it’s the story of author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee exploring how everyday spaces and objects have surprising and powerful effects on our moods. 

And while I’m gaining a lot of design ideas for how to infuse more joy into my apartment one day, a paragraph I read in the “Freedom” chapter last week felt especially pertinent considering our circumstances right now. I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you. 

In chapter three, Ingrid writes: “In a moment of joy, we are carefree, freewheeling, footloose and fancy-free. Some of the most joyful moments in life are the ones in which we gain a kind of freedom. Think of the ecstatic opening of school doors on the last day before summer break or the buzz in the office when the clock strikes five on Friday. Joy thrives on the alleviation of constraints.”

This message resonated with me. In addition to the examples Ingrid mentioned, I thought about the flutter of joy I’ve experienced when getting off an airplane after a flight, walking out of church on Sunday, finishing a workout class or receiving an open space in my calendar when a meeting is canceled. I see now the common thread among these examples is a sense of freedom. 

I also realized another commonality: I’m not able to experience a lot of these things right now. I’m not physically “leaving” the office on Friday afternoon or a church on Sunday right now. There won’t be “last day of school” celebrations this year. And I’m not traveling anywhere. 

My first thought after this realization was a feeling of validation. Maybe some of those not-so-happy feelings I’ve struggled with are a reflection of me missing a sense of freedom. 

I also thought about my two brothers, who should have been at college for the past eight weeks. Talk about losing a sense of freedom, right? The thought pushed me to think about how I could be more compassionate toward them because I know they are missing the joy that sense of freedom provided.  

I also wondered, if joy thrives on the alleviation of constraints (as Ingrid suggests), how can I still make sure I’m pursuing joy in a time when we face a lot of constraints that can’t be alleviated? 

In the book, Ingrid discusses how many of the most liberating places are found in nature. From a design standpoint, she provides research-based, tactical steps for harnessing a sense of freedom in our homes, including featuring nature motifs, houseplants, open space and fresh flowers, among other things.

If something as simple as fresh flowers can harness a sense of freedom in our homes, there has to be habits or behavioral tweaks we explore to experience a sense of freedom and create a little joy for ourselves. 

From the perspective of someone who is lucky enough to be staying at home right now, I took the time to jot down a few simple ideas that could inspire a sense of freedom. My list included things like: 

• Using commute time for a walk or run outside (weather permitting) 
• Acknowledging that wearing comfy clothes and not having to do my hair is a freedom unique to these circumstances 
• Finding an unnecessary meeting to cancel 
• Enjoying not having to prep my breakfast and lunch the night before 
• Cleaning out a closet or drawer and leaving it empty
• Zeroing out my work email inbox at the end of the day
• Treating myself to a second serving of a dessert I’m really enjoying 

Maybe for you it’s not setting an alarm clock a few days a week or saying yes to your kids staying in pajamas all day or having ice cream for dinner on a rare occasion. If this is resonating with you like it’s resonated with me, I highly encourage you to spend some time thinking of simple ways to alleviate a few of the constraints in the life in hopes that it infuses some everyday joy into your life. 

After all, don’t underestimate the power of starting small. A fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. Likewise, finding just one moment of joy – maybe from doing something that gives you a sense of freedom – can lead to a more joyful day.

On My Monday Radar

Sometimes we just aren’t ready to jump into our Monday to-do list right away. In case you want some content to procrastinate with, here is a roundup of a few positive things on my radar:  

• Brene Brown’s Netflix Special. I know I’ve included Brene’s Netflix special in this section before, but after listening to her speak in a webcast last week, I need to shout her out again. There are multiple ways to consume Brene’s powerful message… you could read her books, listen to her podcast or follow her on social media. But if you are looking for a place to start, let me recommend her talk on Netflix. It overflows with truths, inspiration and humor. And if you need more convincing, look no further than the video description. It reads that Brene “discusses what it takes to choose courage over comfort in a culture defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty”…. tell me that’s not something we need right now! 
• 23 Suggestions for Small, Easy Houseplants. After reading Ingrid’s advice for harnessing a sense of freedom (and thereby joy) in our homes, I’m convinced that I want to invest in houseplants. As a beginner and someone who’s only kept succulents alive, I appreciated this article because of the surplus of suggestions provided for small, easy houseplants. Do you have houseplants you would suggest for a beginner? Let me know!
• Need a Ridiculously Great Series to Read? I mentioned in a previous newsletter that I was reading a YA series called The Selection. I was on the hunt for something mindless and fun and with a plot description of Bachelor meets Hunger Games, these books were perfect. But honestly, I was scared of admitting to you all how much I loved these books. Ha! So, I recruited one of my best friends from high school (the same friend who loved the Twilight series back in the day) for a second opinion. Well, I’m happy to report that she is just as obsessed. In fact, we can’t stop talking about the three books! (They are the type of books you love to hate) So, if you are in a reading rut or just need a fun distraction, I can’t recommend this series (which is apparently being adapted for Netflix) enough. And if you read it and want to discuss it with someone, I would love to be that person for you!
• Tips for Air Drying Hair. Ending on a light note. 🙂 Last week I decided to take advantage of the fact we’re staying home and air dry my hair instead of blowing it out. I followed Jess’ instructions exactly and was pleasantly surprised with the result. I’m excited to play around with it this week and give my hair a little break (maybe a sense of freedom?!) from the heat of a blow dryer.

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan

Want to receive a note like this to your inbox every Monday at 6 AM EST? Sign up here! If you don’t receive the email, please check your spam or junk folder.