The Well-Being Toolbox
What's in yours?
Last Friday was a super exciting day at work— Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter, stopped by to tour our Shift Retail Lab space and meet with some of our students. It was awesome to see the students' excitement to showcase their products and services, and Taylor was very generous with his time and authentic in his conversations with students. It was one of those days when you walk around smiling and feeling good about the people around you.
One worth savoring, for sure.
The highlight of the day for me was sitting in on a morning Q&A session with our graduate students. I was encouraged by how much of the conversation centered around the intersection of well-being and productivity. It was refreshing to hear Taylor talk about rejecting the early Silicon Valley hustle culture norms that have dominated the tech space for years. One of our students asked for advice on how she and her co-founder, both women of color, might prepare for navigating the white male-dominated space they are preparing to launch a product in (gaming). A big part of Taylor's answer to the question was to have a strong support system in place. He talked not just about supportive people but also about things like sleep, exercise, therapy, and making time for things you enjoy.
This concept of embracing multiple ways of supporting your well-being is spot-on. It can be easy to focus on one specific wellness thing du jour, especially in a culture that is so tuned in to trends. But what real, actionable, holistic wellness is about instead is developing your own personal toolkit of things that support your mental and physical health.
Here's a non-exhaustive list of some things that might be in that toolbox at any given time:
Meditation
Mindfulness
Sleep
Exercise
Yoga
Medication
Counseling/therapy
Coaching
Solitude
Time with friends and/or family
Time in nature
Art
Music
That nourishing snack or meal that makes you feel great
Massage
Reading
What's great about this toolbox metaphor is that it acknowledges that there isn't one magic thing we can do that will make us well. It's about trying lots of things, keeping those that help, and removing those that do not serve. Some tools are for daily maintenance, and others get pulled out when you need some repairs. The tools you'll need will shift and change over time as well.
Your toolbox is also highly personal; picture it in your favorite color with your name engraved on it. What works for your best friend, your neighbor, or that podcaster you love may or may not work for you—it's your choice what goes in the box.
There is no pre-assembled, everything-you-need-all-in-one-package wellness toolbox. There are no best practices. There are only the practices that work best for you.
What's in your toolbox?
Community Conversations
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about our propensity to procrastinate sitting down to create things, even when we love our creative practice:
Great reflection about this from
in the comments: "I have not been able to articulate this problem before reading it here. Creative work IS work, even though I enjoy it. I'm so susceptible to putting off writing until I've finished everything else on the list. Then, by the time it's all done, I don't want to do anything at all, much less write. Might as well put the 'chore' of writing I love at the top of my list. Otherwise, nothing will ever get written."
And some thoughts about congruence over on LinkedIn this week as well:
From Jonathan Mayer: "Congruence is a fascinating lens (or 'frame'). I'm used to looking through the lenses of integrity/wholeness and their rival, cognitive dissonance, but congruence puts more language around how I think about my choices, what's going on underneath, and what I share with others!"
Huge thanks to everyone who takes the time to respond so thoughtfully! I love hearing from you.
Mindful Moment
Sharing a short morning practice from my toolkit.
Squirrel of the Week
My favorite Instagram squirrel whisperer, Derrick Downey Jr., has a children's book* out!
*Clearly, non-children will also LOVE this, because squirrels (and compassion too, of course)!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the toolbox metaphor. What tools do you keep around? What's on your list that's not on the one above? Has it changed over time?
My copy of Hand and Paw just arrived last week. :)
I love to get up early (before the sun). It gives me the illusion of timelessness for I always put on a pot of coffee (I do love coffee!), light a candle, and then as the coffee perks enjoy meditation in the dark. Lately I've been playing in the Waking Up app (Sam Harris) but I have literally had this morning routine since I was single and in my twenties. Now a number of decades later - past work career crises, single parenting, marriage again, now authoring - every morning without fail. If we're in a hotel, I get up early, dress, grab my iPods and find a back corner of the hotel lobby....Meanwhile, great post! And how refreshing for a CEO to exhibit being more about nose-to-the-grindstone.