Hi friends!! Happy New Year! Wow, this year is already flying by. I am sure many of you, like myself, experienced hardships last year as we faced (and are still facing) this ugly pandemic. Not only are we experiencing the difficulties and challenges with COVID-19, we Americans may also be feeling increased anxiety after election time. On top of both of those big things, I am sure we all have our own personal more private challenges that we do not always share with those around us.
For me, 2020 was an extremely difficult year and I was surely struggling to balance everything. What I have learned though, and have prioritized, is rest through taking breaks. Something I believe we should normalize. In the past, if I needed a break, I would feel bad about it. Why should I be taking a break if there are so many things I could be doing, completing, etc. OR “have I earned this break?”
Anyone else ever experienced this? I wanna share a couple of things with you that I learned regarding rest.
1. It’s absolutely necessary
If we do not give ourselves the proper time to rest and care for ourselves, we cannot effectively care for others. You literally cannot pour from an empty cup.
2. Rest does not take you away from your goals, it helps you achieve them
“Earning” rest to me is a silly concept. We do not need to earn rest. If you are tired, exhausted, and need to recharge.. do it. Rest is not a reward.
3. Re-charging does not need to be expensive
There are a million and one free things you can do today to make rest a part of your everyday life. You can run, meditate, dance, move your body, read books you have at home, cook a meal you love or snuggle your fur baby, etc.
I am coming to find that feeling the need to grind out a hundred tasks a day in order to feel accomplished and/or productive is a very millennial mindset. I will also say, this is one surefire way to reach burn out, quick.
So, today my friends, I encourage you to rest. Take time for yourself and remind yourself that rest is good for your wellbeing.
xo,
Jocelyn
