making space, taking time
Happy Tuesday, friends; may your (decaf?) coffee be warm and the fall weather crispy, assuming it’s reached your geographical location. It’s been beautiful here recently, and our cozy candles are doing their best work. Hoodies are being worn with reckless abandon.
What’s a kind way you can make some space for yourself today? Two years ago, I tried giving up coffee for a month because I have a sensitive gut that needed a break. Although I missed the bean juice during that time, it tuned me into the concept of giving things up that would be for my benefit. October 2025 has been a month of taking a break from music, just to step back for a bit from something that tends to take over my mental processing for days at a time. I’ve filled a lot more of my time with house projects and Hollow Knight: Silksong, both of which have proven to be enjoyable and productive. Point being, sometimes we need to change something up to give ourselves some space.
As of June 2025, I have a Light Phone 3. Simply put, it’s a “dumb” phone that provides basic phone functionality and tools for living instead of trying to do it all. I’m not here to pontificate about smartphone usage; there are plenty of people who have great things to say about that, and I see it as a choice I made for myself as an individual; I don’t expect anyone else to do the same. While I’m fairly used to the phone now, I’m grateful for the space it’s provided me. I spend a lot more time being “bored” in coffee shops while waiting for my drink, I read before bed most nights, and Sunday afternoons I barely look at my phone at all. I primarily see it as a kindness I’ve provided myself; there’s enough to think about without adding a constant coping method in my pocket. As a result, I’ve had more creative space, too.
What would it look like to consider your days and what’s taking up space? As a recovering anxiety addict, it’s something I’ve slowly been integrating into my life; every so often, I check in with myself to see what’s working and what’s not working. Maybe your creative process needs re-tuning, or the project you’ve been trying to finish could use some outside opinions. I encourage you to sit with the friction points you’re experiencing; who knows, maybe one small change will make a world of difference. And if not, that’s ok, too; a small pivot that makes your day a bit easier is just as valuable. I think an important part of this process is a willingness to reconsider. For years, I often found myself in situations that I didn’t like, but I didn’t really think anything could change. For one reason or another, I just felt stuck and maybe even a little afraid of adjusting my course. I think it’s important to acknowledge that flexibility is a bit of a learned skill; thinking differently takes learning to think differently. As I always say - it’s not that I don’t still find myself in these moments, but I’ve gotten more comfortable with taking a deep breath, pausing, and adjusting.
That’s it for this week, I think. I wanted to discuss this subject, but I didn’t really have a lot to say about it and decided to offer simple encouragement instead. Where is somewhere you can adjust this week to take a little better care of yourself? I encourage you to consider it. Chat with a friend about it, bounce some ideas off of them. Big or small, maybe there’s something new you can try that’ll go a long way. Thanks for reading.