This may come as no surprise to some of you, but when it comes to taking rest, I’m pretty bad at it. I know and understand the importance of rest days in my workouts, but what about the rest of my life? Just give me a big ol’ F.
I work hard and I enjoy working hard and being busy, but I forget that sometimes it’s okay to be a little “bored” or not do much of anything beside lounge on the couch and binge watch my current Netflix show. Weekends don’t need to be about running ALL the errands, getting in ALL the workouts, and working on blogging AND freelance writing in between the rest of it. Sure, some of those things do need to happen and I also want them to happen, but what about relaxing?
Anytime I’m at the grocery store and the person asks me what my plans are for the weekend, I say, “hopefully just relaxing” but the truth is that there’s actually no relaxing built into my weekend. My plan is to go from the grocery store, drive the 45 minutes home, take a shower, eat lunch and dive into whatever freelance articles are due. I spend my afternoon writing, maybe take a short break or switch gears to a different article before diving into something else. Then Sunday is usually about the same deal but instead of grocery shopping, it’s food prep and instead of morning yoga, it’s evening yoga. These are all great things that I enjoy and they make my week ahead a lot easier, but the point is that I’m tired. Scratch that. I’m exhausted and it hit me like a ton of bricks last week and even more so on Saturday.
I got some feedback from my freelance editors late last week that made me really upset. All is okay now, but I was mad and my feelings were definitely hurt. What I realized more than anything was that I’m not giving myself enough time for me, for the things that I want out of my life, and instead I’m trying to write all the articles to supplement my income so I can feel better about another aspect of my life. This cycle isn’t working. I need to incorporate more rest. This is better for me, my mentality, my emotions, my energy, and also those around me.
Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you’re feeling overworked, stressed out, and completely exhausted. If that’s you, and even if it’s not, I hope you feel like today’s post is for you as much as it is for me.
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1. Sleep
I’m sure this sounds obvious, but it’s worth noting nonetheless. When I wake up for my morning workout and my body aches, it’s usually a sign that I need more sleep so I reset my alarm and allow myself to fall back asleep. After yoga on Saturday, I fell asleep post shower with a towel still wrapped around my hair. Saturday night I was in bed for about 11 hours. Sleep, it does a body good.
2. Workout (or don’t.)
As mentioned, if I wake up and my body hurts or feels drained, I choose more sleep over my planned workout, but somedays the workout is just what I need. Running, yoga or a nice leisurely stroll through my neighborhood helps my body as well as my mind.
3. Self care
Self care looks different for everyone. For some it may mean a mani/pedi with your best girl friends, for some it may mean a relaxing aromatherapy massage, and for some it may mean a long hot bath. Regardless of how this looks for you, this is one of the most important things.
4. Read a book
Reading is a form of self care for me but it’s also a good excuse to just sit down in a chair and not move for an hour. The excuse to just stop and be is an absolute must in my book.
5. Talk to friends, family or a specialist
Sometimes what we really need is someone to talk to about our current stressors. This could mean a quick vent session or seeking more guided advice, but if it’ll help you to get out your worries by talking to someone, you’re going to find a lot of rest in this simple act.
6. Journal
Along the same lines as talking to someone, but instead, this is a conversation with yourself and the Universe/God/whatever you believe. We may be surprised what can come from these otherwise simple writings.
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I hope you’re able to take a few minutes this week to add a bit more rest and recovery to your week and your life.
What other ways do you choose to rest?
Take rest.
