27 Comments
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TP's avatar

I’m so pleased you called this out Nikki. This is where I’ve been since Friday and today it caught up with me. Leaning into it and letting go felt like a proper gift to my self. I wrote a bit about it too. Thank you 🤗

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

It’s not the easy and automatic thing to do, but sometimes our soul won’t have it any other way. I hope you feel better. But most importantly hope you get the soul level rest you need to heal.

Becoming's avatar

Amen sister!! Recovering workaholic and overachiever here. Life has really begun to open up and healing has progressed since slowing down and becoming mindful. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff as I have subscribed. Appreciate your support as well! Looking forward to the journey.

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Thanks for reading. Glad that it resonated with you and glad to be connected now.

Erica Voell's avatar

Oh feeling this deeply as I’m just starting to feel better on day 5 of the flu. I gave myself permission to not work but kept thinking I’ll feel better tomorrow and will work. But each day I’ve woken up I’ve thought I need one more day to rest.

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Yep! Same thing happened to me. You will be back when your body is ready. I feel refreshed and renewed now that I allowed myself time to just be.

Rudy Giammarco's avatar

If you were on an airplane and you were in Florida you most likely picked up some virus from a snowbird. Every year in January and February folks from all over the world come to Florida and the wind circulates germs no matter how careful you are. I just spent the last week with the same symptoms that you had. It’s was very boring staying home for a week doing nothing. It’s a good lesson to embrace the boredom and find the peace and stillness of it all sometimes.

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

I think you’re probably right. It was very boring especially into days 5,6,7. I hope you’re doing better 🙏🏻

Jasmine Clemente's avatar

I’m glad you wrote this. I agree, that the body will make decisions for you if we don’t respect our energetic cycles. And society keeps pushing “quick fixes” for everything. We need to slow down. Love it 🙏🏼

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

I feel like I became the queen of quick fixes. Until

The quick fixes no longer work, all we have is one choice. To completely let go.

Tiffany Dawn's avatar

I joke that it took my A++ skill set to adjust to living in the B+ groove. Chronic illness was my initial driver. Blessings, we never know how they’re going to look when they land.

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Our bodies are so intelligent and will eventually scream the whispers we’ve ignored over time. Give yourself grace in the process.

Janice Leung's avatar

This is such truth — I too have realized this in my own life. Cognitively understanding the need to show down, let go, surrender… yet programmed to do the opposite and resisting. I recently saw the identity I’d built over a lifetime around Pushing. It was a quiet, big Ah Ha moment. Another letting go 🙏🏽

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Life will rewrite itself through the quiet A’has. Letting go feels so freeing, doesn’t it?

Janice Leung's avatar

So freeing. Life being rewritten with every release

Sarah Oehler's avatar

I’m sick today and had so much trouble getting rest. It’s all of this. Thank you for naming it.

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

I’m sorry you’re sick. It’s safe to rest and just be. I promise.

Kristen Slonicki's avatar

I’m with you sister 🥰 this is my first full read of yours & I loved it! An excellent reminder of the subconscious doing its deepest work in the slow down. The reminder is always needed as it is a constant practice to reframe that rest can be allowed without guilt. Something that I have been working to fully reprogram for many years. ❤️ thanks for this

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Our systems feel safe through repetition and this habit is one that runs very deep in many of us. When we let go and finally rest we realize how silly it is to not give ourselves that space and permission to do so. Us funny humans 🤪

Valerie Demont's avatar

Ah ah very interesting how we tend to over-perform in all domains

- physical healing… and energetic

- self development and self help

- remembering our true self

- personal branding

- positioning

- sports, business, etc

When as you mentioned so well : slowing down holds the medicine

It’s like the very little moment inbetween 2 breaths… it contains the entire universe

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

And right there is where the wisdom lies 👁️

Valerie Demont's avatar

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Chris Megia Barra's avatar

I can relate to the conditioning being deep! As a kid I rarely missed school for being sick. I was told it was all in my head. 😵‍💫

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Truly does run deep but that can be changed.

Kathleen 🦋's avatar

I’m also a recovering overachiever who is currently down with a bit of a cold… I so needed this! Thanks for sharing this in such an impactful way 💗

Nikki Kountouriotis's avatar

Glad to hear it was helpful and timely. Hope you are giving yourself everything you need right now.

Tsetsy's avatar

Thank you for naming the fear that slowing down means letting people down. That’s the one that keeps me stuck