It's okay to take time off
In fact, you need to.
January is a tough month for me, especially since I moved to a state that experiences winter. I grew up in the Caribbean, so it’s taken some time for me to adjust to the temperatures in this part of the world. I had previously always thought winter was aesthetically beautiful, but actually going months of short days and temperatures so cold I find every reason not to leave my house has been an uphill climb.
I find January a depressing month overall. I call it the Monday of the year. Just when the pressures of living up to an aesthetically and socially acceptable holiday season are over, in comes the pressures of getting your ducks in a row if you want your year to go well.
This past first week of January came out swinging at me. I don’t know if you noticed, but there was no newsletter last week, and it was for that reason.
Without going into many details, I’ll just say that I had a heavy first week of January. There were many layers of issues that I had to deal with, all piling on top of each other. When I sat down to write my newsletter I was blank. I had zero inspiration and little headspace to even begin to pursue it. After trying for a couple of days to churn something—anything—out, I said “Screw it, maybe there doesn’t need to be a newsletter this week.”
I decided to practice what I love to preach about. I see my friends and loved ones burning themselves out, doing the most, nonstop being productive, and I’m always keen to remind them that it’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to pause. It’s okay to walk away and come back when your energy has been recharged.
On top of that heavy week, I got sick over the weekend. Growing up, taking rest when you were sick got you reprimanded, now imagine taking a break when you were tired. If you were sick and tried to sleep it off, it prompted quips like “Are you dying?” and “Why don’t you get up and do something so you feel less sick?”
But I’ve been in therapy for two years now and one of my favorite things I’ve learned is how to feel my feelings. A concept that at first sounded foreign to me. Now that I’ve a better grasp of it, I’ve grown openly curious about what’s going on inside me at any given time.
So this weekend I said, “I’m going to rot in front of the T.V. for the rest of the weekend.” And dear reader, rot I did.
I watched movies and T.V. shows and YouTube videos from the cozy comfort of my couch. I had warm soup and cuddled my dogs and did not pick up my laptop except to scroll new frames for glasses for about five hours each day (or however long it takes to go through 1300+ results). (I know they have filters; I just like to be thorough and look at all my options).
So I finally did it. I finally pushed the guilt aside, put productivity on the back burner and put my body, my mental health, and my physical health first. And I regret none of it.
I coughed a lot, sneezed a lot, cried a lot, had moments where fear crept up in me from the stress of the situation that snuck up on me earlier in the week, but I let myself feel it all. And when Monday came, I felt much better. Not only was my body on the mend from being sick, but the situations that I would’ve otherwise spent all weekend stressing about began to resolve themselves. As everything in the end does. “This too shall pass” is not an adage because some old person felt like being naggy and getting on everyone’s nerves. It’s an adage because it’s one of the most basic truths of life. Everything, absolutely everything, both good and bad, shall pass.
My sister also sent me a reel on Instagram where a user discussed that the opposite of anxiety isn’t calm. The opposite of anxiety is trust. We both reveled in the truth on that—the kind of truth that you can’t argue with, so deep-seated that you can feel it in your very bones and that to deny it would be to reject all matter that creates reality, including yourself. I dared myself to trust that week. I dared myself to not seek calm not as the opposite of anxiety, but as a result of trusting that some things were just out of my control. I said to myself, “Some things don’t have a clear-cut answer. Some things just have to stay messy,” and I went about my weekend trusting that I would come out of the other end alright.
This week the world is still turning, and we are all moving forward trying to make the best of everything. But even as we trust that there’s an end in sight, remember to take time for yourself. Yes, life will go on. Yes, we will get through it. No, we won’t be knocked down. But taking some time to breathe and recollect yourself will make our enduring progress so much easier to handle when we’re ready to get back up and go at it once more.
Updated rates for editorial services
I’ve been an editor for four years now, and until now, I’ve still been telling myself that once I have more experience I’ll charge closer to industry rates. But if four years of experience isn’t enough, then what will be? Five years? Ten? Twenty? If I know myself well, I know that I could have twenty years of experience and still feel the full-blown pain of imposter syndrome.
But I’ve decided that I need to believe in my worth and in the value I bring to clients—something I’ll be working on this year. I’m a good editor, and I know that I’ll always go the extra mile to make sure that I‘ve covered all my bases so that a client is satisfied with the final result.
So here below are my new editing rates* as of January 2024. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I’m always more than happy to dole out information about my editing services and/or how everything works!
*Prices are subject to change. All are set in US dollars.
January 2024 gratitude challenge
I’ve been collecting my gratitudes for
’s January gratitude challenge as I choose something day by day and meditate on it. I don’t want to make a short story long, so here’s an overview of the things I’ve found myself grateful for since the beginning of the year:1/1 - The freedom to choose how you spend the holidays.
1/2 - The fact that the big muscle in our heads is an idea-generating machine.
1/3 - The gift of sight.
1/4 - The ability to work from home and choose my own hours.
1/5 - Nonsense and the hilarity it can ensue.
1/6 - Friends that can hold space for you.
1/7 - Lazy Sundays spent at home.
1/8 - So much free pet content on the internet.
1/9 - Tacos.
1/10 - Finally understanding what it means to feel my feelings.
1/11 - Therapy. Therapy. Therapy.
1/12 - Astrology and how beautiful and validating it can be.
1/13 - My writing group.
Hi there, I’m Maria! I’m a freelance fiction editor assisting women writers in amplifying their voices through their writing. You can find me on Instagram @theintuitivedesk or email me at maria@theintuitivedesk.com. Or visit my site
www. theintuitivedesk.com to find out more.
Your newsletter came at the perfect time as I have sat at my desk each day, willing myself to write my own newsletter. I came to the same conclusion as you, that pushing myself to DO THE THING just isn't going to work. We all need the space to rest and heal and come back renewed, whenever that time may be.
Also, I am so excited to see you pushing past your imposter syndrome and charging what you are worth! I will forever shout it from the rooftops that you are an amazing editor with an attention to detail that is unmatched!
It takes immense strength to recognize when you need a break. The quote, "Some things don't have a clear-cut answer. Some things just have to stay messy," reflects the harsh reality in life. Trusting in the process and embracing the messiness of life is a courageous act, and your words on the opposite of anxiety being trust is enlightening.