SC Episode 3
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Kleidi Jeen: [00:00:00] Coucou. Welcome to Sundae Creative where we're throwing outdated hustle culture into the trash and giving creative entrepreneurs, the self care strategy they actually need to thrive. I'm Kleidi Jeen, your creative wellness strategist, your fellow creative entrepreneur, and your go to for making sure your business doesn't burn you out.
before you get to enjoy your success. I'm talking real deal self care. The kind where we're all about balancing those big, bold, creative dreams with the energy and well being to sustain them. Because the real flex is a thriving business and a thriving you. So go ahead, grab your matcha, get comfy, and let's get into it.
Okay, picture this with me. You've got that thing, baby. That thing you're putting out there, a banging much needed service, or your healing abilities, or your artwork, or your web designs, your thought leadership, those beautiful [00:01:00] products. You are doing it!
And yet, you feel like you're holding something back. It doesn't feel quite right. And you're no stranger to nurturing you, taking care of yourself in so many ways, but that off feeling persists. So what happens? You keep putting your creativity out there, baby. You keep pushing through, hoping that, that not quite right feeling will go the F away.
And it does sometimes, right? But then it creeps back in and you have that intuitive sense that it never actually left in the first place. You just got busy enough to not notice it. And then it finally happens. You get sick and it just won't go away. Trip and fall because you're now clumsy when you weren't before.
You experience hospital level depletion. You burn out. You just have to stop. You have no choice. So why does this kind of scenario happen? [00:02:00] Because we don't acknowledge that intuitively off feeling , we got the signs. We just don't acknowledge them. We don't stop and listen to it because we know what it means already.
And we don't want to, right? It can mean two things. It can mean we need to slow down because we're not vibrant and all six of those Sundae framework areas. And we need a little tune up somewhere. And if you're just tuning in, I talk about those six areas in episode two of the podcast. The second thing it can mean is it could mean our creative expression might not actually be , that true authentic expression that we truly want to put out there into the world. And you know, you know, that can be scary. We spend a lot of time and resources on what we put out there, right?
So when you get that sense that something's off, it can be scary to face it and to possibly realize, you know, what you put blood, sweat, and tears into isn't quite what your heart and soul are [00:03:00] trying to express. You know, let that sink in. And so, ultimately it's about getting back into alignment, right? So this is what I would do.
This is what I would do. And I've been there. So this is actually what I have done. Number one, I get back to my intention. What is my intention with putting this thing out there? Like, , what is it fulfilling in me? How do I picture it helping the world? So the second thing is I would ask, is my creative project , representing that intention? Is, my work reflecting that? Is it, fulfilling that intention? The next thing is I get back into my business strategy, into my planning. Okay. Where do I need to pivot to make sure I stay on track and in focus?
Like what are my best next steps to get back on track with my intention? And number four is I will check in with my self care framework. Is it actually nurturing me? What feels good right now? You know, like what feels fulfilling? What feels nurturing? [00:04:00] What feels restful? What feels soft? Like, am I doing those things?
Or am I just like checking the boxes, putting more on my plate, just checking things off the list. Like, okay, , I took a nap. I watched Netflix, but were those things actually nurturing, right? And if they're not, what things are nurturing for me right now? And the fifth and last thing I do is I start doing those things at varying increments throughout the week, making sure to do at least an hour of nurturing activities each day.
And that can be inactivity. Hello. Right. You know, that could be me staring out of the window, looking at the clouds or the birds or like people watching at the cafe, it doesn't have to be active, but it has to be nurturing. . So I'd spend at least an hour doing nurturing things every day.
And actually those can be broken down into little pauses throughout the day that add up or, big chunks [00:05:00] or one solid hour, you know, it just depends on , how your day flows. So, for example, , right now, I personally do an hour to an hour and a half of solid break time before, right before or right after my lunch.
Because that's what works for me in my current lifestyle, like that's what's working. So, , I have clients though who chunk it out over the day, you know, like 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there, 10 minutes here, 5 minutes there, you know, making tiny pauses so that, , they actually are getting those breaks in the day.
And, , it accumulate, it accumulates all of that is helping to continue to reset and regulate your nervous system to continue to get you out of sympathetic system activation into parasympathetic mode, where your creativity thrives, where you feel safe and secure and grounded,
So those five realignment steps again are number one, reconnect with your intuition, right? And number two, verify that the [00:06:00] work you're doing is actually in alignment with that. , with your big picture vision. Number three, pivot your strategy and your planning to get back into alignment. Number four, check in that your self care is actually nurturing you.
It actually feels good. And the last step, number five is to implement nurturing self care activities every day of the week for at least an hour. So, to get off of that burnout train, stop right now and try these five steps.
And you'll be surprised to find that some of what you're doing can actually be just extra busy work, both getting in the way of you fulfilling your creative intention and setting you up for burnout.
So try it out. That's a wrap on today's episode. If it hits home for you, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And if you're feeling extra generous, please leave a quick review. It helps more creatives like you find the show. Oh, and don't be a stranger. Come on, come find me on Instagram at softsundaestudio.
Sundae [00:07:00] as in the ice cream, not as the day of the week. And DM me your biggest takeaway. Let's make self care make sense in your creative biz. Okay. Ciao. Ciao for now. Bye
