My to-do lists feel more like a guilt trip than a game plan. I need to pause and take a step back. The endless pressure to do it all drowns out what truly matters in my life. Instead of fitting my priorities into my schedule, I should be scheduling around my priorities. I started with identifying my top three core values yesterday. I shared that those are communication, health, and learning. But not everything I love doing, like painting, sewing, and upcycling jewelry, aligns with those values. These hobbies still matter because they fill my cup and make me happy.

To make room for both, I anchor my day in my values with sobriety meetings, dog walks, physical therapy, and my Recovery Daily Podcast. Then, I carve out time for creativity. Even 30 minutes of painting a rock or finishing sewing my project runway pants fulfills that need. I time-block most things in my day to be able to include value-based activities and hobbies, while honoring my disability and chronic pain. In recovery, we have to let our energy guide our schedule, not our task list.

Some days I just want to play, and that’s okay, too.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

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