Daysha's Ultimate Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide
The first retrograde of 2022 has finally arrived…
Starting on January 14th this year, you might start to see a few more complications in your daily life than normal thanks to the planet Mercury going retrograde.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
In astrology, Mercury is know as the planet that rules communication, relationships, technology and contracts. About 3-4 times in a given year the planet appears to be moving backward in the sky, which is actually an optical illusion due to how fast it orbits the sun compared to earth.
It is has been observed over the years that when Mercury enters a retrograde period, people tend to experience an increase in miscommunications, delays, technical glitches, and general mishaps.
It’s basically like a never-ending Monday for 3.5 weeks.
But, depending on how you choose to view your glass, there are also positives to be gleaned from all of this chaos as well.
Just like Monday, the most dreaded day of the week, retrogrades are also an opportunity for us to rethink and reset what hasn’t been working.
It’s the perfect time to reflect and to surrender to our problems/frustrations because the only way out is through.
I tend to struggle with the whole surrendering part during this time of year because I hate slowing down. But given the many experiences I’ve had with burnout over my fairly short life, I’ve finally been brought to my knees this Mercury retrograde, and I’m choosing to finally go with the grain instead of against it.
This is what I plan to do this Mercury retrograde season in order to make it through to the other side a little less stressed than usual.
Take Life At a Slower Pace
I’ve decided that my mantra for 2022 is #MeetMyselfWhereI’mAt.
I have always been an extremely ambitious person. On the plus side, I have seen my ambition push me to conquer fears and reach levels that even I never thought I could reach—which has been amazing and I totally feel like such a stronger person for conquering those experiences.
But on the flip side, I have also seen my ambition run me straight into the ground like a hot, fiery, cataclysmic airplane crash.
So, to help rein my ambitious side in a bit to a more productive level, I’v decided to consciously take a few steps back and really listen to what my body is telling me.
If I’m tired, I take a nap.
If I’m in a shitty mood, I give myself space to feel my emotions.
If I need time or space, I ask for it.
I’m working on quieting that voice in my head that says “time is money—go, go go!” Because while to some degree this saying is true, it is also equally true that compromising your health is expensive—both in terms of the time you have to dedicate to healing and the ridiculous amount of money it costs to see a freaking doctor in this country.
So, this retrograde season, I’m choosing to embrace the slow downs that present themselves as opportunities for me to get clear on how I am learning to meet myself where I’m at.
2. Lean Into My Intuition Through Meditation
One of the greatest ways to build your intuition is through meditation.
For me, meditation is an opportunity for me to sit with my thoughts and either work on protecting and affirming my loving kind energy or becoming more present to obstructions to my inner peace.
I believe that every person should be allowed to sit in peace with their thoughts. I don’t think our minds intend to be such dark or difficult places. So, when I find myself having difficulty concentrating or finding peace with myself, I have come to realize that this recurring, intrusive thought is not here to harm me, but rather to get my attention to deal with a deep pain that I am choosing not to deal with.
Given that retrogrades are prone to all types of chaos that can make it hard to think or communicate clearly, it can definitely undermine one’s sense of trust in themselves and their decisions.
This is why I think it is more important than ever to meditate during retrograde season so that you can stay true to your inner voice.
3. Take More Time To Reflect
Again, because the planet Mercury appears as if it is going backwards during retrogrades, they say that it is a great opportunity to focus more on your past than the future. Not only are you more likely to coincidentally hear from old friends/connections during a retrograde period, but it is also encouraged for people to use these re-encounters for a moment of reflection.
If the relationship ended poorly, how have you grown since last seeing this person? What changes have you made to ensure that history does not repeat itself? How are you choosing to evolve as a person?
I also think that within this reflection period it’s not only good to think about how you’re evolving, but to also show acknowledgement and gratitude to the processes/people that have given way to your evolution. Who or what has helped contribute to the changes that you have always wanted to see in yourself? Have you ever told them or expressed gratitude for it?
It’s temping during a retrograde to get super blamey and frustrated with all the delays and chaos around you, but I find that learning how to give thanks for things that do go right has unlocked a lot of good fortune for me—both internally and externally.
4. Revisit Old Projects
Because communication is out of whack during a retrograde it is recommended to avoid starting or launching anything new—projects, making big announcements, selling new products/services and even romantic relationships. And definitely do not sign any contracts if you can avoid it.
But due to the reflective nature of the period, it is highly recommended to revisit old projects or ideas that you’ve had on the back burner.
I know for this retrograde I am planning to finally finish editing Love It or Lose It so I can finally share all the episodes with you all on YouTube!
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Yes Queen YouTube channel to be notified when the episodes finally drop!
5. Triple Check Communication With Others
So, retrogrades are notorious for communication shit storms.
This is why it is highly recommended that during this time you do your best to be clear and patient while communicating with others. Some might say that you should bite your tongue about serious conversations because of the high likelihood of miscommunications, but I don’t agree with that. I just think that if you are going to have a difficult dialogue during this time, it is extra important to go into it with a lot of patience and to always check in to make sure you and the other person are on the same page about what you’re discussing.
For this retrograde, I’m going to be mindful of my texts, rechecking my emails and taking a pause before I communicate with others.
Extra Tips
Pick your battles and know which hills are worth dying over.
Be choosy about who you spend your time with. Due to all the delays and frustrations that you might encounter, there is no time for anyone that’s gonna bring drama into your zone and drain you.
Take pause when faced with an out-of-the-blue text from an ex/old friend/past connection. Don’t feel the need to respond right away and use that pause to think about the pros/cons of the relationship and why you parted ways to begin with.
Take a social media detox—delete all your apps to resist the temptation and look for other ways to get connected with yourself like meditation, journaling or exercise.
Reconnect with your intentions—Rediscover your why for what you do and think about new ways to implement that intention in your everyday life.
Don’t let the delays get to you—Expect your computer to die, your cellphone service to cut out, your Netflix streaming to be hella slow. Think about what these delays might be signaling to you about your relationship with these items.
Hope you have a productive and fulfilling retrograde, Queens!