Good Morning / Early Afternoon!
It’s the third Friday this newsletter has been in existence and I’m happy to report that we are climbing the Substack subscriber leaderboard every single day. You’re making this happen and I can’t thank you enough for sharing it within your communities. Sorry for the late start this morning—technical issues!
In today’s edition…
Morning Microdose: 10 Essentials for Functional Self-care
Myth of the Day: Skipped
Action Item: What’s missing on the list?
(1) Morning Microdose
10 Essentials for Functional Self-Care
I went on my first backpacking trip in 2007 and it was a beautiful disaster. No one told me not to pack an 8 oz. bottle of sunscreen or reminded me to put the memory card in my DSLR camera, nor was I aware of deceivingly cute foxes who sneak into backpacks to steal all your snacks.
With that being said, it was the genesis of a lifelong passion for backcountry adventures, as well as a solid mental model for life. After every trip, I find myself iterating on and refining my “kit” based on experiences I have out on the trail.
As a solid foundation, your backpacking kit should always include the 10 essentials for camping and hiking. You may use only a few of them or none at all; however,
“It’s when something goes awry that you’ll truly appreciate the value of carrying these items that could be essential to your survival.”
These functional essentials include:
Navigation
Light source
Protection from the sun
First aid
Knife
Firestarter
Shelter
Extra food
Extra water
Extra clothes
(In all fairness, that is DEFINITELY an 8 oz. bottle of sunscreen in the photo.)
Photo source: The Ten Essentials, REI.com
As I mentioned earlier, backpacking is a solid mental model for life, and the concept of the “10 Essentials for Functional Self-care” is incredibly useful when life goes awry.
Navigation (YES, also #1 on THIS list!)
Light source (YES, you’re seeing a TREND)
Protection from assholes
Healing and coping mechanisms
Life knife
Spark starter
Home
Nourishing, healthy food, and hydration
Exercise
Clothes that make you feel good
🧭 Navigation
What do you use as your compass in life? How do you determine where your life is heading? None of us are born with a map in hand, which is why being able to route-find as you navigate the ups, downs, lefts, rights, and f*ck me’s in life is critical to survival.
🔦 Light source
How do you find your way out of the darkness and the unknown? Closely related to navigation, we use our dreams, goals, passions, principles, and values to light the path ahead.
🛡️ Protection from assholes
There are assholes everywhere in life—you can’t avoid them. They are the people who, for whatever reason, cause you pain. Their assholism may be temporary (e.g. someone who callously ghosts you); however, your ability to know when and how to use your personal armor is vitally important.
🩹 Healing and coping mechanisms
Your protection from assholes has been penetrated, and now you’re wounded. How do you ensure your emotional survival? Through healing and coping mechanisms like breathwork, meditation, friendships, art, music, dance, nature, and infinitely more.
🗡️ Life knife
There are infinite ways to use a knife, from hacking through someone’s (or your own) bullshit to cutting ties with people who drag you down. Although your life knife isn’t the only tool you’ll want; sometimes you’ll need to throw the hammer down to get what you want in life, and always be ready to unscrew yourself.
🔥 Spark starter
Not necessarily romantically speaking (although nice if it is 😍), it’s essential to have the skills to establish and grow thriving connections with other people. After all, humans are wired for social connection.
🌎 Home
There is shelter, and then there is “home.” We all need somewhere to hang our hearts. If you’re a wanderlusting nomad, and you don’t have a stationary home, we all share a home called Earth.
🥑 Nourishing, healthy food, and 💧 hydration
Keep your body healthy for the long haul by eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins. And, in the beginning, there was water—humans relied on it as the only beverage for millions of years. Guess what? We still need it. Water provides everything your body needs to replenish the fluids it loses.
🤸♂️ Exercise
Stay strong and protect your mobility by finding ways to move your body throughout your lifetime. For some, that could look like lifting heavy objects and running from imaginary bears. For others, it’s an inclusive virtual dance class that welcomes every BODY. You do you, and don’t be afraid to express joy with your body like there’s no one watching.
🤵♀️ Clothes that make you feel confident
This may be up for debate as being essential, but I personally believe that dressing your best boosts confidence and self-esteem. Unless you look best in your birthday suit (which is quite possible), find clothes that (a) fit really well and (b) accentuate your favorite parts. Not someone else’s favorite parts… YOUR favorite parts.
(2) Myth of the Day
None today—we had a longer Morning Microdose, and my aim is to keep the newsletter clear, concise, and wieldy.
(3) Action Item
Reflect on the list and do some critical thinking on your own essentials. Do you agree with my picks for the “10 Essentials for Functional Self-care?” Or am I missing something and/or essentials you’d swap out?
I wish you all a wonderful weekend and know that I’m grateful for your readership. See you Monday!
ps. To all the mothers and people who have mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!
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