WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.959
So I took a pause, two weeks actually, and I want to talk about it.
00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:14.800
Not because anything dramatic happened, and not because I had some big revelation or life-changing moment, but because the pause itself was the thing.
00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:17.359
The rest was the meanwhile.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.160
Hi, welcome back to Meanwhile.
00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.960
I'm Dominique, episode 12.
00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:31.760
This one is about rest, real rest, the kind that feels weird at first and then feels like exactly what you needed.
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.960
Let's go.
00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:35.840
It started with the nor'easter.
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.359
Two weekends ago, a storm rolled through New York City.
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:44.560
Gray skies, relentless rain, wind that meant business.
00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:51.280
The kind of weekend where even the city, which never really stops, slows down a little bit.
00:00:52.079 --> 00:01:00.240
I wore my highlighter yellow Lake Placid sweater, the one my mom got me on our last mother-daughter trip.
00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:05.519
Because when everything outside is gray, sometimes you have to bring your own color.
00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:16.079
Then I just laid low, played some video games, walked my dog, did a little cleaning, and napped, which I never do.
00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.920
I genuinely never nap, and it was glorious.
00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:24.640
Then the next week came, and the pause just continued.
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:27.359
Here's the thing about rest.
00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:33.359
Once you give yourself permission, really give yourself permission, it's hard to stop.
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:35.840
I don't mean that in a lazy way.
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.319
I mean it in a this is exactly what my body and mind need way.
00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.439
This past week I took more naps.
00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.280
I did some adult coloring.
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:51.519
I painted my toenails, I read a romance novel, my absolute favorite types of novels.
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:58.640
Curled up under a blanket with the pets and their respective spots on the couch doing exactly what they do.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.760
Just existing, just being present.
00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:04.959
We watched some crabe shows.
00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:09.599
We found a fun snack cooking contest that was genuinely entertaining.
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.280
And outside the window, the leaves were starting to change.
00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:21.599
Red, orange, yellow, the whole city slowly turning into something warmer and cosier and more beautiful.
00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:24.879
And I just let it all be.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:28.639
Now I'm a go-go-go person.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:30.080
Always have been.
00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:36.800
There's always something to do, somewhere to be, something to plan, something to check off the list.
00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.919
So at first the pause felt weird.
00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.439
A little restless, like I should be doing something.
00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.400
Like slowing down meant falling behind.
00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.400
But somewhere in the second gnat, something shifted.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.960
Because here's what I learned about rest.
00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.599
It's not the opposite of moving forward.
00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.400
It's how you prepare for what's next.
00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:12.319
I think a lot of us, especially women, especially anyone running a household, managing a career, taking care of people and pets and everything in between, struggle to give ourselves permission to stop.
00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:17.280
Even for a weekend, even for a week, even for a nap.
00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.919
We feel guilty about it.
00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.919
The rest has to be earned.
00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.960
Like stillness is the same as giving up.
00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:26.000
But it's not.
00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:27.280
It's really not.
00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.280
Slowing down doesn't mean you've stopped caring about your goals.
00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:33.599
It doesn't mean you're falling behind.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.439
It means you're human.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:37.039
Humans need rest.
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:44.319
We need naps, romance novels, crime shows, pets on the couch, painted toenails.
00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:45.919
We need it all.
00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.400
That's not laziness.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:49.919
That's self-care.
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:54.960
Real self-care, not the Instagram version, the actual version.
00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:59.680
Here's what two weeks of pause gave me that I didn't expect.
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.400
A sense of something new coming.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:17.680
I can feel it, not in a specific way, not with a plan or a timeline or a clear destination, just a general quiet excitement, like the changing of the seasons, like autumn really settling in.
00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.839
The world is shifting into something new, and so am I.
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:31.680
That's a meanwhile, that feeling right before the next chapter begins, when you don't know exactly what's coming, but you know something is.
00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:38.639
The rest, the two weeks of naps and cozy evenings and doing less, it prepared me for it.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.240
It cleared some space, it quieted the noise.
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:43.519
I feel ready.
00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.319
Whatever comes next, I feel ready.
00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.519
So here's what I want to leave you with today.
00:04:49.759 --> 00:05:12.240
If you've been running on empty, stop, pause, even for a weekend, even for an afternoon, give yourself permission to rest, to do nothing, to watch a crime show, to read a book, cuddle with your pets, watch the world change outside with the changing of the seasons.
00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:17.439
Because sometimes the most meanwhile thing you can do is nothing at all.
00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.079
And then see how ready you feel for whatever comes next.
00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:27.120
Meanwhile, when was the last time you truly let yourself rest?
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:30.800
No guilt, no productivity, just you.
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:32.720
I'm Dominique.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.920
This is meanwhile, until the next meanwhile.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.959
So I took a pause, two weeks actually, and I want to talk about it.
00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:14.800
Not because anything dramatic happened, and not because I had some big revelation or life-changing moment, but because the pause itself was the thing.
00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:17.359
The rest was the meanwhile.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.160
Hi, welcome back to Meanwhile.
00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.960
I'm Dominique, episode 12.
00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:31.760
This one is about rest, real rest, the kind that feels weird at first and then feels like exactly what you needed.
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.960
Let's go.
00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:35.840
It started with the nor'easter.
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.359
Two weekends ago, a storm rolled through New York City.
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:44.560
Gray skies, relentless rain, wind that meant business.
00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:51.280
The kind of weekend where even the city, which never really stops, slows down a little bit.
00:00:52.079 --> 00:01:00.240
I wore my highlighter yellow Lake Placid sweater, the one my mom got me on our last mother-daughter trip.
00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:05.519
Because when everything outside is gray, sometimes you have to bring your own color.
00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:16.079
Then I just laid low, played some video games, walked my dog, did a little cleaning, and napped, which I never do.
00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.920
I genuinely never nap, and it was glorious.
00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:24.640
Then the next week came, and the pause just continued.
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:27.359
Here's the thing about rest.
00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:33.359
Once you give yourself permission, really give yourself permission, it's hard to stop.
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:35.840
I don't mean that in a lazy way.
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:40.319
I mean it in a this is exactly what my body and mind need way.
00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.439
This past week I took more naps.
00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.280
I did some adult coloring.
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:51.519
I painted my toenails, I read a romance novel, my absolute favorite types of novels.
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:58.640
Curled up under a blanket with the pets and their respective spots on the couch doing exactly what they do.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.760
Just existing, just being present.
00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:04.959
We watched some crabe shows.
00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:09.599
We found a fun snack cooking contest that was genuinely entertaining.
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.280
And outside the window, the leaves were starting to change.
00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:21.599
Red, orange, yellow, the whole city slowly turning into something warmer and cosier and more beautiful.
00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:24.879
And I just let it all be.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:28.639
Now I'm a go-go-go person.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:30.080
Always have been.
00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:36.800
There's always something to do, somewhere to be, something to plan, something to check off the list.
00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.919
So at first the pause felt weird.
00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.439
A little restless, like I should be doing something.
00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.400
Like slowing down meant falling behind.
00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.400
But somewhere in the second gnat, something shifted.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.960
Because here's what I learned about rest.
00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.599
It's not the opposite of moving forward.
00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.400
It's how you prepare for what's next.
00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:12.319
I think a lot of us, especially women, especially anyone running a household, managing a career, taking care of people and pets and everything in between, struggle to give ourselves permission to stop.
00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:17.280
Even for a weekend, even for a week, even for a nap.
00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.919
We feel guilty about it.
00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.919
The rest has to be earned.
00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.960
Like stillness is the same as giving up.
00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:26.000
But it's not.
00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:27.280
It's really not.
00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.280
Slowing down doesn't mean you've stopped caring about your goals.
00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:33.599
It doesn't mean you're falling behind.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.439
It means you're human.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:37.039
Humans need rest.
00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:44.319
We need naps, romance novels, crime shows, pets on the couch, painted toenails.
00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:45.919
We need it all.
00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.400
That's not laziness.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:49.919
That's self-care.
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:54.960
Real self-care, not the Instagram version, the actual version.
00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:59.680
Here's what two weeks of pause gave me that I didn't expect.
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.400
A sense of something new coming.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:17.680
I can feel it, not in a specific way, not with a plan or a timeline or a clear destination, just a general quiet excitement, like the changing of the seasons, like autumn really settling in.
00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.839
The world is shifting into something new, and so am I.
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:31.680
That's a meanwhile, that feeling right before the next chapter begins, when you don't know exactly what's coming, but you know something is.
00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:38.639
The rest, the two weeks of naps and cozy evenings and doing less, it prepared me for it.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.240
It cleared some space, it quieted the noise.
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:43.519
I feel ready.
00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.319
Whatever comes next, I feel ready.
00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.519
So here's what I want to leave you with today.
00:04:49.759 --> 00:05:12.240
If you've been running on empty, stop, pause, even for a weekend, even for an afternoon, give yourself permission to rest, to do nothing, to watch a crime show, to read a book, cuddle with your pets, watch the world change outside with the changing of the seasons.
00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:17.439
Because sometimes the most meanwhile thing you can do is nothing at all.
00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.079
And then see how ready you feel for whatever comes next.
00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:27.120
Meanwhile, when was the last time you truly let yourself rest?
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:30.800
No guilt, no productivity, just you.
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:32.720
I'm Dominique.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.920
This is meanwhile, until the next meanwhile.
