Fuck yeah for hibernation season. I’ve got a nice quiet routine these days, what with Mondays spent working on offbeatbride.com, Tues-Wed-Thurs at work, and Fridays focused on relaxing and being my own trophy wife. I wake up without an alarm most days. I take the dog out for a walk every morning at 8:30 and every night at 5:30. I drink a lot of tea. I take naps. My commute is the easiest I’ve ever had. I’m lessening my compulsive need to answer every random email I receive. There’s a blanket and two pillows on the couch, and I let the phone calls go to voicemail.

This laziness is hard earned. I’m trying to break out of my well-honed habit of keeping myself super busy as a technique to avoid thinking about anything bad.

My pattern typically goes something like this: Busy! … ZOMG, SO STRESSED! Slow down? Aww: depressed. GET BUSY! (repeat)

As far as mind-fucks go, it’s quite productive. But the result was a state of chronic anxiety and (even worse) not much satisfaction from what I was accomplishing.

Last year, I started making a concerted effort to do less, and enjoy it more. Tentatively, I’ll say that it seems to be working. After several years of pushing myself and all my projects as fast and far as they could go, I find myself contented to work part time, aim low, and sleep a lot. I’m in an energetic trough, and it feels awesome down here.