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Monday, and the vibe is… oof

Not “I hate my job, I’m quitting” slow. Not “call in sick” slow. Just that in-between energy where you can technically do the things, but it feels impossible to get through.

Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the constantly stressful news on TV. Maybe you’ve been running on half-rested sleep for three weeks and it’s finally catching up to you. (Speaking of, have you drank water today…?) Whatever it is, your brain and body have decided: this is not a week for exceeding expectations.

I’ve stopped trying to fight those weeks. They used to throw me into a panic - “If I’m not at 100%, I’ll fall behind and have an insane amount of work to catch up on.” Now, I see them as a reminder that our energy runs in seasons. Some days are spring mornings. Some weeks are late-February afternoons.

Let’s normalize maintenance weeks

There’s this weird pressure to always be “on.” To always be moving forward in big, Instagram-worthy leaps or reachable by one or two messages. But some weeks are less about growing the garden and more about watering it just enough to keep things alive.

I call those “maintenance weeks.” The lights stay on. The dishes get done. The key work projects inch forward. But there’s no big push to overhaul everything.

Here’s what happens when I name a week as low-energy early: the guilt quiets down. The pressure to over-perform softens. And instead of wasting energy trying to force high output, I put my limited energy into things that actually matter.

The shape of a slower week

It’s not about doing nothing -it’s about doing just enough without draining yourself.

Last week, I had one of those weeks. Monday morning, my brain felt exhausted. Leaving bed felt like it would make me crumble. So I decided:

• I’d do my two must-dos every day. (One was work-related, one was personal.)

• Everything else would shift to “maintenance mode” -small, light lifts.

• I’d be totally fine with doing nothing because rest is something my body needs, too.

By Friday, I hadn’t created anything that was gonna move any needles… but I’d also avoided that crash out where I spend the weekend recovering from my week with another rerun of Love Island. I still felt present enough to read before bed. I had the energy to make one low effort meal.

Why I think this works

Energy isn’t a moral currency. It doesn’t mean you’re failing if you don’t have much to give this week. The trick is learning to pace yourself so a low week doesn’t become a low month.

When I move through these slower stretches with grace and intention, I notice two things:

• I still get the important things done.

• I usually come back the next week with more focus than if I’d tried to push through and burn myself out.

This week’s journal prompt

“If I only did three things this week, which ones would matter most?”
And straight up if one of those is laundry and another is texting your best friend back, that’s still real life getting done.

🌊 LifeAt Picks

• Focus Soundscape: girlie pop summer for some much needed energy

• Pomodoro Pairing: 20-min gentle task block, 10-min screen-free break

• Visual Background: summer picnic for a dose of sunshine ☀️ 

LifeAt: Focus with joy

LifeAt isn’t just a productivity tool—it’s your personal focus sanctuary. With a Pomodoro timer, over 1,000 aesthetic virtual spaces, cozy soundboards, and a planner that actually keeps you on track, it’s built to make work feel good.

✨ Romanticize your workflow. Try LifeAt today and create a routine you’ll actually look forward to.

Reader Spotlight ❤️

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Real or AI 🤖

Last week, I asked y’all to pick which lakeside overlook was real, and which was AI. 77% of you were right in choosing Image 1 as the REAL pic!! ⛵️🎉 If you look closely, some of the faces are blurred & the AI can’t figure out how to properly reproduce human like movements.

This week, you’ve just stepped into the cool, dim glow of the aquarium’s Pacific Northwest exhibit. The hum of the water pumps fades as you round the corner -there it is! Your favorite animal: the great Pacific red octopus.

Its arms curl and unfurl like ribbons in slow motion, every movement deliberate and hypnotic. You press your hands to the glass, watching as it changes posture, almost as if it’s sizing you up in return. But here’s the twist: one of these images is from a real-life encounter, and the other is a masterful AI creation.

Which is which? Image 1 or Image 2, cast your vote!