When the World Feels Heavy, We Return to Basics

Cheers to simple pleasures, like a sprinkle of salt on some fresh veggies

I've been sitting here for twenty minutes, wrapped in my favorite moss-green blanket, trying to find the right words to start this newsletter. Outside my window, the sky is that peculiar shade of grey that makes you want to crawl back into bed. (You know the one I mean – the color that whispers "maybe today isn't the day to conquer the world.")

Lately, it feels like we're all carrying extra weight. The news cycle is relentless. Our social media feeds are flooded with opinions and predictions. Our inboxes overflow with deadlines and demands. Even our self-care routines have become complicated, multi-step processes that sometimes feel more exhausting than rejuvenating.

I hit a wall last week.

There I was, surrounded by my "wellness arsenal" – the meditation apps, the gratitude journal, the fancy tea collection, the essential oils, the goal-setting worksheets – and I felt... overwhelmed. Tired. Like I was failing at the very thing that was supposed to make me feel better.

That's when it hit me: We've overcomplicated this whole self-care thing.

Remember when self-care meant simply listening to what your body and soul needed in the moment? No apps required. No Instagram-worthy setups necessary.

Here's what I'm proposing: Let's strip away the layers. Let's return to the fundamentals. Here's my current "bare minimum" self-care checklist:

1. Did I drink water today?

2. Did I step outside, even for five minutes?

3. Did I take three full breaths?

4. Did I move my body in any way that felt good?

5. Did I connect with someone or something I love?

That's it. No scoring system. No pressure. No perfect streak to maintain.

"But isn't that too simple?" asked my friend Sarah when I shared this list with her. "Shouldn't we be doing more?"

Maybe. Probably. Eventually. But right now, in these uncertain times, perhaps the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is to lower the bar. To make it so low that we can't help but step over it.

Here's what I've noticed since embracing this stripped-down approach:

The simpler the practice, the more likely I am to actually do it. When I removed the pressure to meditate for 20 minutes, I found myself naturally taking deep breaths throughout the day. When I stopped forcing myself to journal every morning, I started jotting down thoughts whenever they felt important.

It's like learning to walk again after trying to run a marathon without training. Each small step counts. Each moment of conscious care builds upon the last.

Your Invitation This Week

Want to join me in this gentle revolution? Pick one basic self-care practice – just one – and commit to it this week. Make it so simple that it feels almost ridiculous. Maybe it's drinking a glass of water every morning before checking your phone. Maybe it's standing in a patch of sunlight for 30 seconds.

Whatever you choose, let it be easy. Let it be imperfect. Let it be enough.

Because here's the truth: In times of uncertainty and disappointment, we don't need more pressure. We need permission to start again, simply and slowly.

With lots of love for all of us,

Aransas

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Your Next Uplifter

Our next episode of The Uplifters Podcast is headed your way on Thursday, featuring Alli Schroder. Alli grew up playing small-town baseball in Canada before rising to the national team as a 16-year-old in 2018. She signed with Vancouver Island University as the first woman to ever play in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference. She’s now the winner of World Cup bronze medals for Team Canada and works as a wildland firefighter for the BC Wildfire Service.

Alli was nominated by Tammie Meakes.

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