We tend to hate the idea we have limits. Our body says, “rest” and we say, “later.” Our body sends out good signals to rest, move, drink, eat. But, when we ignore those signals, it becomes harder to notice them. We live in our heads barely noticing we have a body.
When the body has had enough it speaks so we DO notice. We can barely get out of bed in the morning. We get migraines, digestive issues or random aches. Perhaps a cold or flu slows us down.
Our bodies have been trying so hard for so many years. We get annoyed when it doesn’t function. But have we nourished it and rested it?
If we work with the body and listen we can have our body react more optimally. We will get sick less often. We will have more energy.
Pushing through exhaustion only makes the body louder. It will make you listen to it.
Why don’t we rest when our body requests it?
Often our self-worth is linked to how much we do. We think if we rest we won’t do as much. But, often the inverse is true. When you take breaks your work is clearer, more focused and you can work longer if needed.
Or perhaps the thought comes, “What will people think if I rest?” You don’t want to be called the dreaded word lazy!
But, is sacrificing your health worth it to get accolades or not be judged? Because that is what you are giving up.
How can you create rest in your day?
– Use something like the pomodoro timer or a pomodoro app so you can get a reminder to rest every 25 minutes (or whatever time your body requests.) If you are doing desk work, the rest might be walking outside, going to get a drink of water, dancing to one song, or stretching a bit. You need mind rest more than body rest.
If you have been running around, you can sit and read an article or a chapter in your novel. You can breathe, pray or meditate.
When you schedule actual rest time, you can refuel your mind and body for what’s next.
You will rest anyway
For me when I don’t take that rest, I start distracting myself with scrolling, or checking just one thing, or moving things around during work time. I end up resting, but usually not in the ways I would like to. Not in self-care ways, but zoning out ways.
Focusing can be tiring. We are pretending if we think all our work time is actually working.
Rest Tips
– Have a stop time to your work, so you can turn your brain off. Create a boundary about when you will stop checking email and when you will turn off your phone.
– Take a breath pause between tasks to let go of the last task and get clear on the task to come. Don’t automatically do start another project immediately after stopping another. Check in to make sure it is the task or project you actually want to be doing.
– Take a Sabbath. You don’t want your entire weekend to be about cleaning, working, and catching up. I’ve seen more and more posts about doing a Sunday Re-set. If Sunday is your Sabbath, all your prepping for the week is probably making you more tired. Maybe do a Saturday Re-set. Or what I do is have Sabbath on Saturday and prep on Sunday.
– Allow yourself to be unproductive. Wander. Putter. Chat. These are the moments you often remember most. Savor and linger. Be present with your people.
– Add in 10 minutes of prayer or meditation or silence into your day. Turn off the outside world while your gain inner peace and clarity.
– Journal about the patterns that keep you in go mode. Are you feeling not enough? Or have perfectionstic tendencies? What do you decide creates your worth? How are you judging yourself when you rest? Did your family rarely take time off? Do you feel lost when you still yourself or are you afraid of emotions that may come up? Notice your pattern so you can say, “Oh, I see you pattern. You want me to keep going when my body and mind want me to stop, so you don’t feel guilty. Well, I’ve decided not to guilt myself when I rest, because my body was created needing rest.”
When can you next plan rest?
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