Turning Toward Pleasure

In the spirit of year-end reflection, I’m sharing three ideas I’ve included in past newsletters. These are ideas that help me immensely in my daily life and that I often share in my work with others.

Slower than Necessary
Doing anything—washing dishes, getting dressed, walking from point A to point B—slower than necessary has a calming effect on your nervous system. Moving more slowly also gives you time to actually take in your surroundings. You’re more likely to see what’s in front of you instead of seeing your thoughts. And when you have time to notice what’s around you, you naturally become more aware of patterns, color, texture, and beauty.

If you’re up for it, try this for a week. Choose one activity to slow down every day, or pick a different one each day. And feel free to email me and let me know how it goes—accountability can be motivating, and I genuinely love hearing from you.

Let go of Linearity
Linearity is such a familiar framework that we often don’t realize how much it shapes our thinking. I see it all the time: people feel discouraged when progress dips, or when an old pattern reappears, as if these moments mean they’ve failed or are “back at the beginning.”

Accepting life’s detours, pauses, and spirals, rather than insisting on constant forward motion, is a shift that takes time and practice—but it grows our capacity for patience and resilience.

Fill First
I encourage you to do something pleasant for yourself before diving into the things that must get done—and not just once, but throughout your day. When you slip moments of pleasure and beauty into your routine, life feels richer, more balanced, and less depleting. And the practical truth is: the things that need doing still get done.

As you close out the year, I hope these ideas feel like gentle invitations rather than obligations. Take only what resonates, and only in a way that feels manageable. These practices are meant to support you—not add to your load.