we are not machines
Hello Beautiful Human,
This week I’ve been thinking about how harshly we judge ourselves just for being human. About how we demand “peak performance” from ourselves as if we are machines. We repeatedly ask ourselves:
Why am I so tired?
Why is my brain so foggy?
Why can’t I just push through?
But we are not machines.
We are living beings with bodies, emotions, limits, needs, and nervous systems. Most of which, honestly, are fried. So because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to offer you a reminder I find myself returning to often:
You are not burned out because you have somehow failed. You’re exhausted because the system has failed YOU. The system is set up to extract, enervate, and exhaust. So your tiredness is not about your body betraying you; it’s about your body trying to get you to rest before you are forced to.
My hope for you this week is that you listen to your body, and that you correctly interpret the data your fatigue is providing you with. I hope you find and actually take more opportunities to relax, and embrace underdrive instead of overdrive. Be well. 🙏🏾
Need more inspo? Get positive messages, meditations, and more when you read the book.
the sunday salutation
a prayer to bless your spirit
Grant me relief from all that burdens me, so that I can thrive
Grant me Divine solutions to earthly problems so I can be free from stress
Grant me a peaceful mind that I might have a respite from these scurrying thoughts
Grant me Divine Relaxation, a daily sabbath, so I can replenish my soul
Grant me rest
Grant me rest
Grant me rest
Asé
the gentle breath
relax and breathe easy. this is your exhalation point.
4-7-8 Breath
Close your eyes and place the tip of your tongue just behind your upper front teeth. You’re going to inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and then exhale through your mouth for a count of eight, making a wooshing sound:
Inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4
Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
And again:
Inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4
Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Once more:
Inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4
Hold for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Continue your 4-7-8 breathing for as long as you wish. When you’re ready, return your breathing to its normal pace, and open your eyes.
mind your mental
make space for your self
Mental Health Awareness Month can sometimes unintentionally make us feel like our healing is yet another project to manage. Well I’m here to tell you it is not.
Our mental wellness is meant to be part of our regular, ongoing, daily care. So here is a loving reminder to all my overachievers: Put away that “recovery spreadsheet” you just created. Delete that 30-day project plan. Step away from that bulleted checklist.
Despite what they say on the clock app, you can’t “maxx” your way into good mental health. So stop trying to instantly optimize, and focus more on small, sustainable, incremental improvements. Don’t put yourself into crisis mode trying to avoid or get out of crisis mode.
If this is a lesson you are still learning (same), and you’re tired of turning your healing into another performance, you may find a gentle companion in Space To Exhale to lend you some support.
affirmation of the week
breathe these words in and carry them with you
I am choosing to treat my mind with tenderness and love.
Introspection: Journal & Heal
Answer this question: “If my nervous system could write me a letter today, what would it say?”
support for tired souls
If you have been feeling exhausted, dysregulated, and emotionally stretched thin, I’ve created a free resource for you: The 5-Minute Burnout Reset. It is not something else for you to add to your to-do list. Quite the opposite. It is simply a pause. It’s a gentle reset for your nervous system and your spirit. Ready to relax?
one small ask
If Space To Exhale has supported you over the last year, I would be deeply grateful if you left a short review. Your words could help more overwhelmed, exhausted, and burned out people get the support they need. Even one or two sentences can make a difference. You can leave reviews on Amazon, or if that's not your thing, Goodreads and Barnes & Noble work great too. Thank you 🙏🏾
thank you for all your support!
If you're receiving this, it's because you are a friend and supporter of mine. I am so grateful to you for being on this journey with me. Thank you for amplifying me, my book, the podcast, and this growing community. Whether you bought the book, shared a post, attended an event, listened to the podcast, left a review, or simply quietly followed along from afar: thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I will be in touch again soon. In the meantime, remember to take time and space to exhale.
Sending love and light
Lisa
Lisa Hurley
Author, Space To Exhale | Founder, The Great Exhale
P.S. For even more inspiration, check out Space To Exhale: The Podcast, available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Enjoy Season 1, and I’ll see you soon for Season 2!
