How to Create a Balanced Life with Seasonal Living

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About Rhonda

Rhonda Linn is a writer who has spent the last 10 years (slowly) planting a food forest on her 36 acres in Michigan. Her Substack called Earthen Jar; Stars empowers readers to envision a different world through seasonal living– a world where we are cradled by nature through the beauty (and muck) of our daily lives. Her forthcoming book of poems will be published this summer.  She also runs a marketing agency that provides Virtual Assistant, Online Business Management, and Copywriting support to holistic wellness, nature-based and spiritual businesses. Formerly a teacher and educator, Rhonda started her online business in June 2020, replaced her income within a month and didn’t return to school the following fall, pursuing her writing and business.  Rhonda is dedicated to helping both readers and clients lean into their own natural rhythms, the seasons, and build systems that support them in order to increase their joy, ease, fulfillment and impact.  

Where to find Rhonda

Facebook Facebook Group Linkedin Instagram Handle – rhonda.m.linn

Show Notes

Rhonda Linn shares her journey into seasonal living, emphasizing the importance of aligning life with natural rhythms and creating supportive systems. Overwhelmed by her education career and reevaluating her path during the COVID pandemic, she transitioned to a copywriting and virtual assistant business for spiritual entrepreneurs. Inspired by Kate Northrup’s “Do Less,” she realized the unrealistic productivity expectations placed on individuals and adopted a gentler approach to life and caregiving, stressing the need for caregivers to recharge.

This episode looks at the natural cycles of abundance and dormancy with societal pressures for constant productivity, which can lead to exhaustion and poor decision-making. It advocates setting boundaries and allowing oneself to rest as crucial self-care practices, differentiating between superficial and deeper self-care approaches that address systemic issues like work overload. Practical suggestions include journaling to track feelings and energy levels, incorporating seasonal rhythms into family life, and using services like meal prep to reduce stress.

Rhonda also shares her transition from urban living to managing a larger property, driven by a desire to grow healthier food, inspired by her childhood experiences on her grandfather’s farm. She has developed a food forest with perennial fruit and nut trees and aims to empower others through her writing, including a Substack publication and an upcoming book of poems focused on grief and personal growth.

Emphasizing the importance of aligning personal schedules with individual needs, Rhonda notes the differences in energy patterns among individuals and advocates for self-awareness to optimize routines. She suggests journaling to track energy levels and reflects on how adjusting schedules based on energy levels could improve job performance. Practices like gratitude and emotional logging are highlighted for personal change, along with communicating one’s working style to achieve better professional outcomes while prioritizing personal needs.

Reflecting on societal pressures and the toll of caregiving, Rhonda advocates for self-compassion during tough times, likening care responsibilities to changing seasons. She discusses her marketing agency focused on holistic wellness and plans to introduce book coaching and writing workshops. She concludes with advice to be gentle with oneself while assessing societal expectations against personal inclinations.

The central theme of this episode is Rhonda Linn’s transformative journey into seasonal living, which underscores the significance of aligning one’s life with natural rhythms and establishing supportive systems. Rhonda’s story is a powerful narrative of overcoming professional burnout and societal pressures for constant productivity by adopting a gentler, more self-compassionate approach to life and caregiving.

Episode Highlights:

1. Journey to Seasonal Living:
   • Rhonda’s transition from an overwhelming education career to a fulfilling role as a copywriter and virtual assistant for spiritual entrepreneurs during the COVID pandemic.
   • Inspiration from Kate Northrup’s “Do Less,” which prompted Rhonda to reevaluate unrealistic productivity expectations and adopt a more balanced lifestyle.
2. Contrasting Cycles:
   • Exploration of natural cycles of abundance and dormancy versus societal pressures for perpetual productivity.
   • Advocacy for setting boundaries and allowing oneself to rest as fundamental self-care practices.
3. Practical Self-Care Tips:
   • Journaling to track feelings and energy levels.
   • Incorporating seasonal rhythms into family life and reducing stress with services like meal prep.
   • Differentiating between superficial self-care and deeper, systemic approaches to managing work overload.
4. From Urban Living to Rural Sustainability:
   • Rhonda’s move to a larger property to grow healthier food, inspired by her childhood experiences on her grandfather’s farm.
   • Development of a food forest with perennial fruit and nut trees, and her mission to empower others through writing, including a Substack publication and an upcoming book of poems on grief and personal growth.
5. Personalized Schedules and Energy Management:
   • Emphasizing the importance of aligning personal schedules with individual energy patterns.
   • Suggestions for optimizing routines through self-awareness and journaling to track energy levels.
   • The impact of adjusting schedules on job performance and personal well-being.
6. Collaboration and Self-Awareness:
   • Working with clients who embrace supportive systems for personal and professional lives.
   • Importance of self-awareness in job and relationship decisions to prevent burnout.
   • Tracking daily habits to ensure schedules reflect core values.
7. Navigating Challenges and Self-Compassion:
   • Rhonda’s experiences with memory during conversations and her preference for green tea over coffee due to health issues.
   • Identifying as an introvert who enjoys social interactions but needs to manage “introvert hangovers.”
   • Advocating for self-compassion during caregiving and tough times, likening care responsibilities to changing seasons.
8. Future Endeavors:
   • Rhonda’s marketing agency focused on holistic wellness.
   • Plans to introduce book coaching and writing workshops.
   • Final advice to be gentle with oneself while assessing societal expectations against personal inclinations.

Your Host – Shelly Drymon

My mission is to empower and inspire women to embrace their life transitions as opportunities for wellness, growth, and self-discovery and live their lives with clarity, purpose, and joy. Committed to honesty, integrity, and authenticity, I lead by example, showing that it’s never too late to live a life you love.