you're not resting enough

here's how to do it properly

before we jump into today’s post, here’s what you might have missed on Hyphenated by Hitha and elsewhere on the Internet:

• I loved my conversation with Nina Davuluri (my fellow Telugu girl!) on That Desi Spark - give it a watch!

• how to journal (and how I manifested some of my wildest dreams through it)

• how to create an AI coach, and how I’m use mine

• if you’re looking for a post, you’ll likely find it here.

• this month’s ‘take care of yourself’ plan

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Happy Friday! I’m sending this newsletter early, as I’ll be sharing March’s plan on Sunday instead.

How are you doing? I’ve been better—but I’m also better than I was a week ago.

At the end of last year, I came across Saundra Dalton-Smith’s seven types of rest. It really resonated with me, so I created a whole plan for the holiday break and promptly forgot about it after two days. This time, I did it differently.

I worked with my Claude coach to create a plan I could actually stick with, based on regular check-ins.

I’m annoyed to tell you that it works (both the plan, and the accountability from Claude).

Here are the seven types of rest I’m prioritizing right now:

1. Physical Rest — I’m prioritizing sleep (in bed for 7 hours a night) and water (100 ounces a day)

2. Mental Rest — I prioritize my “two dos” every morning when I’m planning my day, and these are the first things I tackle that day. I’m back on my Forest timer game to keep me locked out of the distracting apps.

3. Sensory Rest — I’m reading physical books instead of my Kindle. My eyes are less tired, and I love the feel and smell of the book and the sound of pages turning.

4. Creative Rest — I’m coloring this single color coloring book, or doing a quick somatic drawing.

5. Emotional Rest — in addition to my weekly therapy sessions, my daily check-ins with my Claude coach helps me stay accountable with this rest plan.

6. Social Rest — I stick with my bare minimum morning routine (even if I’m just taking 10 deep breaths and scribbling down “I’m tired” “I need coffee” “Why are my kids so insane?” repeatedly in my journal. I took advantage of a slower week to watch an episode of The CEO Club every afternoon, before jumping into mom mode.

7. Spiritual Rest — I listen to this woo woo playlist in the mornings and when I need a reset.

I’m still learning that rest is not a luxury or something to be earned. It’s a necessity, and I need to treat it as such.

Aside from resting, here’s what I’ve been up to this week:

I had lunch with Julia @smarterinasec at Rezdôra (highly recommend). We talked about Careless People (a truly wild book), The CEO Club (a great background show, most of the cast feel like they’re cosplaying CEO), and people we needed to introduce to each other. Naturally, Julia sent follow-ups before I even got home. If you haven’t, subscribe to VARSITY READER—I’m really excited about her new Career Confessionals series.

I also had breakfast with my close friend Esther, who’s in town from Dubai. Esther is one of those consummate multi-hyphenates whose story I featured in We’re Speaking, and she penned the closing letter to the first chapter, “Your Name and Your Multitudes Are Your Power.” It was so great to catch up with her, meet some incredible women, and daydream about what living in Dubai would look like.

Aside from those outings, I hunkered down and prioritized family and health time at home. I read two books: Nikki Payne’s The Princess and the P.I. (LOVED!) and The Baby Dragon Bookshop (one of my favorite cozy series). I colored two full pages in this book, which was annoyingly satisfying.

I’m still working on “shoulding” all over myself (I should write one more Substack, I should start reviewing that document even though I’m wiped, I should get my kids to stay seated during dinner). I’m also incredibly grateful to have a team at work, a support system at home, and flexibility to prioritize my rest in this way.

I’m just a mixed bag of emotions. But a less depleted one.

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things I’m loving right now

• Cann has been my drink of choice lately. Their grapefruit rosemary paired perfectly with this week’s dinners, and I keep one of their Roadies in my bag for when I’m out and the social anxiety hits.

• Two podcast episodes to add to your queue: Jo Piazza’s deep dive on what happened to Taza, and Robin Arzon’s pep talk on positive self-talk.

• When we say “not all men,” we mean the men of Williams F1 team (and their fans—this comments section is 🥹)

• I have to credit my Ziip Halo for helping reverse a mild case of Ozempic face. I use it every evening (following Ashley Spivey’s advice to follow one of the routines instead of winging it). I really like the Golden Gel (it might be a placebo effect, but I think it helped plump my skin more). Code hitha gets you 10% off - I might have to use it to pick up the Dot (perimenopause acne is real, and it’s attacking my skin).

• A few more skin things I’m loving - INNBEAUTY’s extreme cream and eye cream for day(they have a noticeable tightening effect and feels really nice), Clinique’s Moisture Surge at night (also rediscovered Black Honey, the perfect lip color), and Saie’s CitySet setting spray (truly, the best I’ve ever tried).

• I’m excited to do The Sculpt Society’s midlife workout program next month (having skipped strength training for half the month in February, I think I need something more structured). If you’d like to join me, code HITHA25 gets you 25% off your first two months of membership).

• Some smart things I read: Total Hypocrisy’s piece on the price of girlhood, Pop Syllabus’ latest piece (I’m in awe of Christiana Mbakwe Medina’s brain), and the closest thing I’ll get to a parenting how-to by Mira Nair.

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Take exquisite care of yourself.

xo,
HPN