Permission to Rest: Granted (By Me)

After 15 years of non-stop writing, I’m FINALLY taking break

Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash

My summer started off with a lot of optimism about all I’d get done. After an enjoyable week's getaway vacation in Mexico, I came back determined to get out of my food rut. So I tried Hungryroot, a meal delivery service.

It was only for a couple of lunches and dinners. I’m mainly looking for ideas and don’t plan to use it indefinitely.

Strangely, it ended up being an ego boost. My family very much prefers my cooking to the delivery meals they had. But I got some ideas, so mission accomplished.

Then my mom had emergency surgery, and we weren’t sure if she’d make it. She’s doing much better now, but we’re trying to figure out her care. It’s been emotionally tolling and has left me distracted from my writing.

I had an awesome post planned to go deeper into my midlife muscle series, but I never quite finished it. I was going to stay up late last night to get it done, but I was feeling so burned out that I decided a break was in order.

It dawned on me that I haven’t taken a break from writing in over 15 years! Yes, I’ve gone on vacations, but I write on those too (although less intently).

With everything happening, I’m taking a writing hiatus for a couple of weeks. It’s tough to stockpile posts—they’re so time-consuming to create.

I need to find a place for Mom, declutter before my daughter goes to college, and just chill for a bit.

I will pause the paid subscriptions during this time and to make up for last week. And I plan to come back ready to roll!

In the meantime, here are some posts from last summer to check out.

Even in summer, creating a routine is key for good health. In this post, Using Routine to Bolster Health, you’ll find some printables and tips to get you started.

Half of midlife women have high blood pressure! I wrote two posts about blood pressure last summer. One explaining why it goes up, and the other includes what you can do about it.

From what you hear, you’d think menopause is 100% responsible for all heart disease risk in women. But in this post I discuss the overlooked role of biological aging.

If you want to understand what drives my writing at Midlife Strong, read, No Expert Cares About Your Health More Than You. This recent experience with my mom has only strengthened this core belief.

Last, is the importance of joy. Sometimes we forget about joy but it’s so important to health and well being: Is Joy the Secret Weapon Against Stress?

Thanks for much for understanding and I’'ll see you on the other side!