Just typing the title of this post makes me sigh. Sometimes it seems nearly impossible to make time to actually rest. The fact of the matter is though, we all need rest and we need it more than once a year or once a quarter. For me, I’ve found that it’s much easier to not to rest than it is to make time to rest. This past weekend I knew I had to make some time to wind down. Let’s talk some about why and how.
I felt that out-of-control/need-to-regroup feeling early on in the week. I have been going from daylight to dark lately and with both personal and professional obligations consuming my days, I was starting to feel exhausted. If you sit in the middle of your floor crying while folding your underwear, it likely means you’re past due for a bit of rest. Or you hate your underwear. For me, I needed rest. My week was already packed to the rim, so without canceling appointments, I knew my rest would have to wait until the weekend. I went ahead and wrote it in my new Get To Work Book and was sure to cover the whole block. If I didn’t write this in and promise my husband I would do it, I knew that I’d schedule something. Actually taking the time off is the hardest part for me. I’m able to see that I need it. I understand its importance and value. Just doing it is what I struggle with.
You see, I had to say no to several things both personally and professionally to give myself this time. If you’ve read along here for more than a week, you know that I feel guilty for just about everything. Any time that I have to tell someone no, I feel terrible. Planning for a day of rest is hard for me because I usually have to say no…a lot.
Nonetheless, based on how I’d felt all week, I knew it needed to happen. I had to carve out some time to move slowly. I didn’t want to wash my hair. Or put on makeup. I wanted to wear sweats all day (or actually a shorts/tank pajama set. July in Louisiana = HOT.) I wanted to sit and catch up on weeks of unread blog posts in my feed. I wanted to casually surf Instagram. Paint. Decorate more of my home. Organize my closet room. And just sit. Basically, I wanted to wake up to sunshine pouring into my windows, not to an alarm. I wanted to lay in bed for too long and move slowly when I arose. I wanted to sit until I decided to do something else. And drink coffee slowly. I just wanted (I should probably say needed.) some time to nurture myself. I needed time to rest and time to pay attention to my hobbies and my home. As I’ve mentioned before we all need this time off to be the best versions of ourselves.
On Saturday and part of Sunday I did just that. It was much needed and appreciated. Feeling rested and relaxed was very much so worth the anxiety I had felt over telling people no. I’m approaching this work week feeling much better than if I’d spent the entire weekend working or running around as I usually do.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t make time to rest. If your life is anything as busy as mine, it’s likely pretty difficult to carve out that downtime. However, it’s very important that we do. Without rest, we can’t be the best versions of ourselves, and we can’t approach life with a clear mind. We need to relax and rejuvenate in order to have the energy to go full speed towards our dreams.
If you’re struggling to make time for a break lately, I encourage you to make it happen. Schedule some time for yourself and do it unapologetically. You deserve it and need it.
