Junk Mail

Did you ever stop to think that it takes just as much time to archive, delete, and/or move a junk email into the trash folder as it does to unsubscribe?

Recently, someone asked me if there were any things that I can’t physically touch that I wanted to let go of. Put another way, what did I want to remove from my life/head so that I could move forward?

Of course. There are a million things swirling around in my head and affecting my life that I want to let go of.

My pre-pandemic “idea of success”.

The stress I feel over reaching the societal “age milestones” that I “should’ve met by now”.

My negative self-talk.

My body shame.

My FOPO (fear of people’s opinions).

My tendency to choose to please others over protecting my own health and happiness.

My attachment to my phone.

The idea that I’m not doing enough.

The pressure to maximize this quarantine time.

I could go on…

Some of them feel too big for me to deal with right now given the current state (re: trash heap) of the world.

So, having to choose something to purge in that moment, I decided to start unsubscribing from every email that I no longer need.

Do I need to know what’s happening at 59E59 this fall when it’s closed and I haven’t been inspired or motivated to watch a streaming theatrical event aside from Hamilton over the last seven months? No.

Do I need to know that the fast casual lunch spot that I used to frequent when I taught on 28th and 7th is now serving broccoli when I haven’t taught there since March? No.

Do I really need to receive ALL of the emails from the democratic races I’ve contributed to and social issues I support to stay informed? No.

Now, when something arrives in my inbox, I Marie Kondo that sh*t and ask myself if the content sparks joy. If not, I find the unsubscribe button and CLICK!

Can I choose to live more PROactively instead of so REactively? Yes.

And maybe starting with my inbox is a great small step toward this larger life theme.

What’s something you’d like to get rid of?

What’s one small step you can take today to declutter your brain space?