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Welcome to The Wellness Rewind, your go-to weekly newsletter for practical tips and inspiration to create a balanced, mindful, and energized life. Forwarded this by a friend? Subscribe here to join the community and never miss out!
It’s Memorial Day Weekend. Which means one of two things is probably happening:
You’re lounging in linen, fully vibing with that no-plans energy.
You’re staring at a to-do list thinking, “This is my chance to catch up.”
If it’s the latter—we need to talk.
This week’s newsletter is for every high-achiever, planner, and spreadsheet warrior who doesn’t know how to not make productivity their personality. We’re unpacking the not-so-sexy truth about the “catch-up spiral,” redefining what a successful long weekend actually looks like, and helping you relearn how to rest.
Oh—and this issue is powered by our sponsor, HUEL—the on-the-go fuel when you want real nutrition with zero mental effort. (Because no one has time to spiral and cook from scratch.)
Let’s get into it.
What's Inside
🚨 If You’re Always “Catching Up,” You’re Doing Too Much
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Let’s play this out.
You open your laptop on a Saturday “just to get a few things done.” Suddenly, it’s 4:30 p.m., your neck hurts, you’ve finished exactly nothing, and you’re annoyed at yourself for wasting your free time.
Meanwhile, everyone on Instagram is “romanticizing their Sunday” with barefoot beach walks and overpriced lavender lemonade.
Here’s what’s actually happening underneath the surface:
You’re in a self-worth loop disguised as productivity.
You’re mistaking action for progress. Completion for value. Hustle for healing.
The result? A burnout flavor that tastes like productivity but digests like emotional constipation.
The Psychology Behind the “Catch-Up Spiral”
It’s not just about time—it’s about control. When you feel behind, the idea of catching up gives you a sense of certainty. But it’s false certainty.
Think about it: even when you “catch up,” do you feel lighter? Or do you find something else to chase?
Productivity becomes a coping mechanism. A socially acceptable addiction that earns praise, not intervention.
And that’s the part no one warns you about.
🧠 The Catch-Up Complex: What’s Actually Going On
When your default mode is to squeeze productivity into every open pocket of time, what you’re really doing is outsourcing your self-worth to your to-do list.
You’ve trained your brain to associate rest with laziness and “getting ahead” with safety.
But ask yourself: Has catching up ever made you feel caught up?
Or does it just buy you 48 hours before you're back in the same cycle?
This isn’t a discipline problem. It’s a capacity problem.
And you don’t fix it by pushing harder—you fix it by creating space on purpose.
🧘🏽♀️ The 3-Day “Unproductive on Purpose” Blueprint
Here’s your actual Memorial Day Weekend plan, for those who want to feel like a person again, not a productivity algorithm.
Day 1: Do Nothing Without Justifying It
Yes, nothing. No “I deserve this because I worked hard all week” disclaimers. Just existence without output.
Examples:
Rewatch your comfort show for the 7th time.
Sit on a balcony with a book and forget the plot.
Listen to the same Charli XCX song on repeat and spiral peacefully.
✨ The magic: Doing nothing is hard for high-achievers because we equate stillness with stagnation. But stillness is a skill. One that restores clarity, intuition, and your nervous system.
Day 2: Create Before You Consume
If you need to do something, make sure it comes from you—not at you.
Examples:
Journal the most honest “I hate this but I’m doing it anyway” brain dump.
Make an aesthetic board for the version of yourself who isn’t exhausted.
Try a bad watercolor painting session. The goal is to not go viral.
✨ The magic: Creating reconnects you to your inner compass. It helps you remember you’re not just a receiver of input—you’re a generator of meaning. In fact, Tim Ferriss is an advocate of creativity gyms. Ferriss emphasizes the importance of a flowing environment that fosters creativity. He suggests that activities requiring extreme present-state awareness, improvisation, and experimentation are part of the "creativity game."
Day 3: Phone Off, Senses On
No alarms. No Slack. No Threads (okay, maybe Threads, but just the @wellnessbum ones 😉)
Ideas:
Cook something slowly and plate it like you’re a Michelin chef.
Take yourself on a walk with zero route in mind.
Meditate, stretch, or just breathe without tracking it.
✨ The magic: Without screens, your brain defaults to presence. And presence is where creativity, insight, and emotional regulation actually live.
🧠 But What If I Still Feel Guilty?
Totally normal. Productivity guilt is sneaky because it’s baked into our culture. But here’s your reframe:
Rest isn’t a reward—it’s a requirement.
Slowness isn’t a flaw—it’s feedback.
Logging off doesn’t make you lazy—it makes you human.
If all else fails, repeat this:
“If I burn out, my dreams go with me.”
Read that again.
Taking care of yourself is the ultimate productivity hack—burnt out isn’t impressive.
🔁 Your Turn
This week’s journal prompt:
The Last Time I Fully Rested—And What It Took to Get There
Was it radical boundaries? A literal sick day? Canceling on someone and not apologizing?
Hit reply and tell me what rest actually looked like for you. You can also tag @wellnessbum or @valeriealvarez on Threads—we’ll feature your responses in next week’s “Rewind Crew Writes In.”
🧠 5 Podcasts for Quiet Ambition & Deep Thinking
Curated for your walks, road trips, or solo coffee shop resets.
The Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal – “Why The Science Of Feel-Good Productivity Will Transform Your Life”
Ali shares insights from his book Feel-Good Productivity, exploring how joy—not discipline—is the key to sustainable productivity.
🎧 Listen on SpotifyThe Diary of a CEO – “Why Discipline Will Make You Unstoppable” with Wes Watson
This episode cuts through excuses and dives into identity, discipline, and becoming the kind of person who doesn’t negotiate with themselves.
🎧 Listen on SpotifyThe Rich Roll Podcast – “Decoding Transformation: Presence Is The Residence of Potential”
Rich Roll delves into the concept of presence and its role in personal transformation.
🎧 Listen on SpotifyTen Percent Happier with Dan Harris – “How to Give Feedback Without Ruining Everything | Kim Scott”
Dan Harris explores the art of giving feedback effectively without causing harm.
🎧 Listen on SpotifyThe Tim Ferriss Show – "The 4-Hour Workweek Tools That Still Work — The Art of Refusal and The Low-Information Diet"
Tim Ferriss revisits concepts from his book, discussing strategies for productivity and information management.
🎧 Listen on Spotify
🧰 5 Tools to Help You Log Off Without Guilt
Let these do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.
Calm Inbox Pause from Boomerang – Hit pause on your inbox to stop the flood of emails while you're off the clock. Email boundaries with ✨vibes✨.
Opal App – Quiet the noise. Reclaim your attention. This app allows you to block, lock, and limit websites and apps you find distracting on your laptop.
The Productivity Planner – Designed by productivity pros, but with built-in space for rest and reflection. It helps you plan without feeling like a machine.
One Sec App – Adds a pause before you open social media apps—because sometimes all you need is one second to choose peace.
The Five Minute Journal – When you need reflection but don’t have 12 tabs open.
💬 Rewind Crew Writes In
Here’s what 3 of you shared after last week’s “Invisible Burnout Gut Check.” (TL;DR: Your nervous systems have opinions.)
📍 Janelle P. — Santa Cruz, CA
“My burnout wasn’t loud—it was silent. The kind where I’d sleep 8 hours and still feel wired. I finally asked: Am I numbing or actually recovering? That question hit hard.”
📍 Marcus R. — Bellingham, WA
“When I felt most energized this year? Playing soccer with my nephews. No phone, no ‘purpose.’ Just joy. Haven’t felt that light in months.”
📍 Claire S. — Bend, OR
“My calendar said free. My body said no. I canceled a ‘quick coffee’ and stayed in bed. It felt rebellious and sacred at the same time.”
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Want to be featured next week? Try one of our Burnout Micro-Reset tools and tag @wellnessbum or @valeriealvarez on Threads—or just hit reply 💌
That’s it for this week. Whether you’re resting, rethinking, or simply remembering who you are outside of your to-do list—I hope this long weekend feels like a reset, not a race.
Here’s to doing less, and living more.
See you next Sunday.
Valerie
@valeriealvarez
P.S. Send this to your friend who might need some mid-week motivation or just needs the nudge. This might be it!
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