CN: food, fasting, restrictive eating
I was talking yesterday about Reset buttons -- a few things I didn't quite get onto in the time/space I had.
First, something more in line with what I was talking about. Every three months, I set aside an hour or so to go over the last little while, consider what's actually happened, and reflect on where I'm at. I call it 'quarterly reflection and planning', which sounds inanely corporate, but I'm yet to come up with anything better. And, really, that is what I'm doing.
I go back through my record-keeping systems to remind myself of what's actually happened -- my journal, my calendar, and a few other specific info-keepers. What happens almost invariably is that a) I am surprised that things that happened near the start of the period didn't actually take place much longer ago ('that was only' three months back?!'') and b) things that happened ~3/4 weeks back didn't happen, like, the week before. Every time.
It's a useful exercise, partly just because it aids remembering and recalling what has actually happened, but because it's a good opportunity to check in with yourself and see how you are (aren't) faring. My journal tends to capture lots of very 'soft' information like if I feel it worth mentioning how knackered or overwhelmed I am. Which, when you read back over things at once, can be pretty stark. A useful warning indicator.
I also turn towards the goals I've set myself at the start of the year, and think about how those are going. I mostly don't do 'output' goals any more -- though maybe I'll revisit that next year. They're more practice/process goals that help me, at times like this, think about my priorities. For me, this time is less about identifying deficiencies per se and more about recognising when I'm over-prioritising, say, my creative goals over more general and important human ones.
The other 'reset button' is a monthly fast that I do. I've been doing this since the end of last year, and find it to be a nice 'digestive reset' (as someone who often has issues with digestion) and, perhaps more importantly, a reset of intentions for my general practices around eating... let's say 'eating well' because there's a lot that collapses.
I've generally made this a 24-hour fast, which is really a small thing and pretty readily achievable (In conversation about it, people often seem to me to wildly overestimate the impact or unpleasantness of it. Unplanned paucity of food is unpleasant. And not every aspect of fasting is pleasant. But it's demonstrably a net positive for me personally.)
What this gives me, above all, is a reset point. Making it a longitudinal habit means that I always know I've got a 'catch' point that I'll reach, which helps me feel more relaxed about my intentions and processes the rest of the time. I think that is a common thread in a lot of what I do -- establishing reflection and reset points that help me be less preoccupied and rigorous the rest of the time. Knowing that there's a time for that, and that it will arrive in due course.