Hey Reader,

I hope you’re holding up well. I know it’s a busy and intense season.

During times like this, many of us think the best way to make an impact is to work longer, harder, and try to get as much “work” done as possible. Otherwise, we feel like failures or that we aren’t doing enough.

But real and lasting impact happens when we take time to rest, recover, and refocus.

Slowing down and refilling your cup isn’t selfish or lazy. If you want to make a difference during this consequential time, your well-being isn’t optional. It’s a requirement.

Your well-being is your closest sphere of impact. How you manage it determines whether you make a meaningful and sustainable difference in your outer spheres of impact—your team, organization, community, and the world.

As flight attendants remind you, you must secure your own oxygen mask first before assisting others. This concept also applies to pouring into yourself personally and professionally. If you’re consistently pouring from a full or overflowing cup, you set yourself and your team up for sustained long-term success.

Here are four areas to pay attention to this week as you make space to take care of yourself. I call this taking your M.E.D.S.

It may sound cliché, but the basics matter. Consistently not getting enough sleep, eating poorly, sitting all day, and overconsuming media content that doesn’t add value to your life takes a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Mindset—What you think and feel shapes your human experience. A key component of this is taking charge of your content diet (e.g., emails, social media, news, etc.). Overconsuming increases stress and is counterproductive. Here are a few tips for cultivating a healthier mindset:

• Curate your email inbox. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails, keep the ones you want, and then set up filters to auto-sort the rest.
• Set a time budget for consuming content. Set parameters around when and how long you will read, scroll social media, and catch up on the news or other distracting media.

Exercise—Along with a proper diet and nutrition, exercise and movement are essential for good physical health and longevity. A few tips for getting started:

• Move your alarm clock across the room so you need to get out of bed and walk to it to turn it off.
• Eat meals away from your desk.

Diet—What you eat is the cornerstone of your physical health.

• Contact your health insurance provider and employee assistance program (EAP) to explore what type of support is already available to you (e.g., cooking classes, meal delivery subsidies, nutrition counseling).
• Add your mealtimes to your calendar. I use and recommend this strategy to clients because it makes it less likely that you’ll forget to eat and end up hangry because you scheduled a meeting during lunchtime or had another unexpected activity pop up.

Sleep and restorative rest—These are among our most underrated productivity tools. A rested mind and body reduce burnout and make you more energized, focused, and engaged.

• Add your sleep schedule and rest to your calendar. I know it sounds strange, but when you add when you sleep to your calendar, you have a visual reminder and a form of accountability for honoring your sleep.
• Set a bedtime for your digital devices. Research shows that exposure to bright lights from your device screens too close to bed negatively impacts the quality of your sleep.

Exercise, good nutrition, and the right amount of sleep are key contributors to the length and quality of our lives. While there are other factors, such as genetics, that we don’t control, we do have control over the four M.E.D.S. pillars, especially during intense seasons.

This isn’t about pulling back or putting your head in the sand. It’s about being at your best so you can give your best. And sometimes the best way to do this is to rest on purpose.

Rest well,

Meico

P.S. If you need support for yourself or your team to navigate this season, I’m here for you. Just reply to this message or book an appointment here: mindfultechie.com/virtualtea.

About Meico

I’m Meico Marquette Whitlock.

Imagine a world where leaders and teams don’t just grind through the day but thrive in their work, without sacrificing their well-being. That’s the world I’m working to create.

I’m here to help you embody what it means to truly thrive and know your well-being is your greatest asset.

As a workplace well-being strategist, I’m on a mission to help purpose-driven leaders rewrite the narrative of success. I believe that impactful work doesn’t have to come at the cost of your health or happiness, and I’ve made it my life’s work to show you how.

I’m the founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, author of How to Thrive When Work Doesn’t Love You Back and The Intention Planner, and a certified trauma-informed mindfulness teacher.

I partner with mission-driven organizations to create cultures where belonging, balance, and purpose take center stage. In a world full of burnout and overwhelm, I help you navigate life, work, and technology in harmony.

During my previous career in the tech, nonprofit, and government sectors, I experienced more than my fair share of burnout and overwhelm in the name of making a difference. As a recovering workaholic, I use what I’ve learned to help changemakers like you make an impact without self-sacrifice.

I partner with you to create strategies and deliver programs that help your team scale impact while sustaining the right balance between life, work, and technology in today’s changing world.

I have worked with organizations such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cigna, and Greenpeace, and have been a featured speaker on ABC News, Fox 5, and Radio One. I'm also a former triathlete, love salsa dancing, and make the world’s best vegan chili! :-)

Are you ready to prioritize your well-being and elevate your well-doing? Let’s get started!

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