december, 2023
edition 45.
no, this is not an april fools joke.
yes, this is really the last weekly episode of the 1-1-1.
I have learned so much through this newsletter. I have looked inward and been honest with myself and, in turn, been honest with you. I have a digital archive of my mind for the past 45 (give or take) weeks of my life. I have loved this newsletter dearly and this newsletter has loved me back tenfold.
but it is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to say this:
I will be stopping the weekly newsletter in 2024.
while I absolutely adore the newsletter and the community it has given me, something has to give. the level of burnout I experienced this past week was wholly unsustainable and, to be frank, scary. being honest with myself and my mental health means that I need to put something down because I refuse to give up my mental health again. hence, the newsletter.
no matter how much I try to convince myself that this is a Bad Idea and that I So Can Do It All, I know I can’t. and I have to stop thinking otherwise.
more details in my latest podcast episode (linked below) or my lil advice section on balance!
ultimately, thank you. thank you for holding space and for listening and for supporting and for watching me learn how to write a newsletter and supporting me through it all. I could not have done this all without you.
for the final time, let’s get onto this week’s edishhhh:
you can expect one email from me every week containing:
one quote that has been inspiring me
one journal prompt
one piece of advice*
* = if you want to submit a question for my upcoming emails, you can find the form here.
podcast
the last episode of 2023 where I talk podcast, imposter syndrome, and why I’m stopping the newsletter — listen to it here <3
one quote
“you are exactly where you need to be because if you were supposed to be somewhere else you would be there”
& a bonus:
“it’s all a learning process.
I am learning how to process my thoughts and my feelings. learning to decifer which ones come from me, and which ones come from the places that need healing.”
—e.e.
one journal prompt
what are you grateful for now and for what’s to come?
one piece of advice
“do you have any advice on balancing all the different aspects of life? i’m finding it really hard to juggle school, work, friendships, and family, while stille making time for me and my hobbies”
this is the perfect last piece of advice for me to give.
(if you want to submit questions or get my insight on anything in the future, follow @solidaritypod and submit questions for my podcast. same vibe, different format!)
I’m going to be so candid with everyone and say that I’ve been struggling for the past few weeks. and so much so that I didn’t even want to face the reality of my mental health. so I continued to do and do and do and I burnt. myself. out. so. bad.
so here’s what I have learned from multiple rounds of crashing and burning: if you’re struggling right now, it means that something has to give. and that something should not be your mental health and stability.
rework your priorities.
balance doesn’t mean giving every aspect of your life an equal part but an equitable part. restructure what your life looks like and how much time and energy you give to each part.
there is no secret to balance, it’s just finding your capacity with each aspect and doing what works for you in the moment.
if that means you have to drop something, so be it. better to do less but do everything well then stretch yourself so thin that you continue to crash and burn.
that’s a lesson I’m learning — I’m still learning. and that’s part of the reason why I’m stopping the weekly newsletters. if I’m honest with myself, I can’t do it all, and I didn’t want to be honest with myself for a long frickin time because I would rather have been delusional in the belief that doing more = thriving.
I’m giving up something I love, the newsletter, to focus my priorities on other things I love, the podcast.
that doesn’t mean you won’t hear from me anymore — I may pop into your inboxes every once in a while with a nugget of advice or a podcast episode I’m especially proud of. but it does mean that this phase of my life is not benefitting from me continually pushing myself on empty.
I hope you can use this as proof that balance is hard and being honest with yourself is hard but that’s not a reason not to do it.
see you all somewhere else on the internet <3
reading updates
currently reading: seven days in june by tia williams, babel by r.f. kuang, check & mate by ali hazelwood
finished this week:
n/a
if you want to keep up with my reading throughout the week, this is my goodreads :)
enjoyed this edition?
see you somewhere else,
katie
hey Katie! hope ur doing okay 💗
thank you so much for everything you've shared with us throughout this journey of newsletters, things that have been really helpful inspiring relatable and just so amazing and real. i'm really grateful. i know i will come back to them for comfort and strength. also i'm saluting you for being so brave and so strong to make this choice. it's not easy, really, but just as u said balance isn't an easy thing so yeah thank you again 💗, keep it up! i will keep following ur journey in Instagram and through the podcast. I'm excited for it btw. Take care. Sm love ❤️
always thank you for this beautiful journey can't wait to see what's next all the best for it :)