Hello there -

First, the good news: My broken finger is healed (enough) to stop wearing a splint, and I've regained my typing speed.

The bad news: Last weekend, my 77-year-old mom took her own turn going ass over teakettle and absolutely destroyed her left clavicle. Humpty Dumpty has now been put back together again by an ace orthopedic surgeon who, upon finishing the procedure an hour later than projected, wearily proclaimed, "Man. That was hard."(That was a long sentence, but I'm leaving it as-is because it feels exactly how the last week has felt.)In case you weren't here for my last pep talk, here's a summary:

• Life can be decidedly ass-over-teakettle-ish,
• It's a-OK to be honest about your struggles, and
• You're allowed to ask for what you need.

Since then, I've been faced with this question: What do you do when life feels less like a single cartwheel and more like a never-ending tumbling pass?

Liiiiike, you get a handle on one thing (broken finger) and then something else happens (broken clavicle) and then yet another something happens (broken dog–a story for another time)?

Even the most gracious clients, friends, and partners have limits to their patience (just like you and I do). And if we're always and only looking outside ourselves for support, we never find out just how badass we truly are.

So here's what I recommend...

Pep Talk #023: Scaffold your nervous system.

‍Being a human can be hard, and many of us are in perpetual fight-or-flight mode. We wake up stressed and have a tough time settling down at night. We feel guilty about resting, so nothing feels particularly restorative. We try to survive on caffeine and cortisol.

‍The truth is, we may never be rid of stressors. But we can learn to discharge the stress. Check out some of my favorite resources on Instagram:
Anna Papaioannou
Emma McFarland
Jessica Fawn
Morgan Starr-Riestis
Rebekah Ballagh

‍In the meantime, here's a quick nervous system tip from me to you: When we're feeling activated (anxious, angry, keyed up), we often think what will help us calm down is to get still.

But what we may actually need is the opposite.

The next time you're freaking out (whatever that looks like for you), stand up, and let that freak flag fly. In other words, MOVE. I'm not talking about exercising, although that's fine if you're into that. I'm talking about jumping, flailing, dancing, wiggling... anything to discharge that energy from your body.It sounds weird, but I'm telling you—it's sooooooo good.

With love,
Kelley