R&R: reflect & reset

We all have periods that cause us to stop and pause, or as I’m coining R&R, reflect and reset. 

Growth is dually challenge and choice, and we know from a Torah perspective, it takes 40 days to break a cycle (21 days for a habit to form, according to studies).

Sometimes change is a result of negative motivation (e.g., a snide remark about weight is what causes you to commit to a plan full force, or someone challenges you “that who are you to judge you barely do “XYZ,” or even recognizing that situations that shouldn’t be as stressful as they are, seem to be a never-ending danger zone.)

And sometimes change is motivated by positive affirmations- when someone reflects that you look amazing and that whatever regimen you’re doing shows, this can be a motivator to excel. It’s not always about physical, but from a spiritual and literal standpoint, many a time the chitzoniyus does reflect the pnimiyus, and if you feel good and are at peace internally, you have the mojo to reflect that in how you appear, care, and carry yourself.

Spiritually: That’s personal and up to you- whether it is committing to a certain tefilla, listening to a Rabbi Efrem Goldberg’s podcast on Emunah, taking on a Machsom L’fi ( no lashon hara/slander power hour), or downright committing to working on how you respond and treat others. My favorite puts in perspective mashal story is about a Rav of a town, who wasn’t a Rav at all, but he was kind and ehrleche, his wife by default was a rebbetzin, and that is what is considered great.

Physically: Noom, Care/Of, Sleep, I don’t practice all these, but what I will say is that Noom is fantastic for keeping on track with diet/lifestyle. It’s an app and focuses on the mental aspect of understanding food’s effect on health and wellness. it does all the practical stuff like allow you to log food, tracks your steps, offers in-app motivation, and in general, is an excellent way to reframe “diet and exercise.” Care/Of I was introduced to by a wellness junkie friend. I saw her posting her curated pill packs, and I was intrigued. Never the vitamin junkie…until I saw all the influencers share their collagen coffee smoothies (did you know the body stops producing collagen at 25?) This lead me to research what else the body could be deficient in but replenished with a natural remedy. Take the Care/Of assessment; it will recommend vitamins. What I did was aggregate my “list” and purchase the vitamins at my local wellness center; reach out to your LOR if Care/Of subscription is kosher for you. Sleep. We are different people once we’ve clocked in our recommended Zzzz’s. Let optimal hours of sleep be the ultimate necessity and luxury to yourself.

Mentally: Headspace; I shunned someone when they said they mediate until I realized I do already! When you reset by taking those five deep breaths and exhaling slowly (5 breaths in the course of a minute), this is mediating! Also, going on walks and listening or not listening to music, whatever is your hit the pavement playlist :)

Monetarily: Mint; I love seeing everything in one place; Mint aggregates finances based on any accounts you add (e.g., bank, Paypal, Robinhood, Mutual Funds, 401K’s, etc.) and at the same time, it tracks spending so you see where finances are going. The pain point I had was that I was looking for a place to allocate savings towards specific goals, including Maaser; Mint provides an excellent overview to do that.

I’m always open to learning about more hacks :) feel free to pm or share in the comments some of your favorite ways to R&R, and yes, classic reading, and putting your phone down no app timers needed makes the shortlist as well.

Cheers to some august summer R&R,

Rifky@Rosé