Here we are in April and boy what a crazy ride March has been. I wanted to take this moment to say you are doing such a wonderful job managing all the changes and shifts that have happened in your life recently.
It would feel strange not to mention Covid-19 in this month’s blog, as it’s caused a huge global shift in how we approaching our lives right now. However, I am also very aware of the fact you are hit with it everyday from all angles. So, I wanted to share a concept that has come up for myself and others recently, yet is something extremely valuable outside of these circumstances.
The value of REST.
I don’t know about you, but all I’ve heard since this started was ‘how can you be more productive?’. Instead of inspiring me, this triggered anxiety and lead to feelings of overwhelm and confusion. I felt like a had additional pressure and expectations dropped on me, and that I had to radically redefine my identity and sense of accomplishment over the next few weeks.
So, I stopped and took a breath.
Yes, I think this is a wonderful opportunity to re-evaluate your goals and intentions for the year, and to re-address how you can use this time to work towards them.
BUT, I also think this is an opportunity to review your relationship with rest. To lean into the sensations that come up for you when you think of taking some time out, and to value the difference between doing what you can and pushing yourself.
Although this may feel uncomfortable at first, it’s an important lesson when it comes to living a healthy and happy life. We live in societies that increasingly place huge amounts of value on ‘productivity’, as a result we fall into the cycle of being busy 24/7. The problem with praising ‘busyness’ is that encourages us to stay switched on – physically and psychologically. Over time this creates an accumulation of damages to our organs, immune system, enjoyment in day-day activities, and our ability to regulate moods.
What’s really causing us to stay switched on, and tethered to the constant need to be busy, is unchecked beliefs and expectations. We don’t give ourselves permission to rest because..
- People might think we’re lazy
- That’ll we’ll get behind
- That we haven’t done enough to deserve it
- Success doesn’t rest
As Marcus Aurelius says “If you are troubled by external circumstances, it is not the circumstances that trouble you, but your own perception of them.”
So, my invitation for you this month is to explore your perception of rest.
- What beliefs come up for you around taking time out for yourself / to rest?
- Whose beliefs are they? Yours or someone else’s?
- How does believing these impact your life?
- Who would you be if you chose to let these beliefs go?
Moving forward I believe we need to start opening up a broader conversation around the concept of success and busyness, and challenging the notion that in order to be successful one must constantly be hustling and grinding at the cost of resting and recharging. What would success look like, if instead we embraced that taking time for oneself to rest/play/reflect/recharge was an essential part of progress, and in turn a happier and healthier life?
Be kind on yourself and others,
With love,
