Rest is productive

Photography by Danielle Ann Rose @bydanielleannrose

When life starts getting busy, the first thing people tend to sacrifice is rest. We are so quick to prioritise everything else, over ourselves and end up feeling burnt out because of it, but the thing is, when we actually prioritise proper rest and recovery, we feel more energised, focused and effective, resulting in higher productivity, better moods and overall greater quality of life

The next time you start feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list or full schedule I want you to slow down, center yourself and listen to what your mind and body are asking for. No matter what “needs” to get done, respect how you’re feeling and allow yourself to take breaks, the more grace you give yourself, the more effective you’ll be when it’s time to take action

You should never have to feel guilty for prioritising or choosing rest. It can be so easy to get caught up in the fast-paced, daily grind that our society has become accustomed to. This idea of hustle culture teaches us to keep grinding and “sleep when your dead” but how could we possibly maintain such a lifestyle long-term without prioritising our health and resting? This mindset creates an unhealthy standard of how people should show up every day, causing them to feel like failures when they can’t maintain it. The money earned from “hustling” means nothing without your health so be kind to yourself

Taking care of yourself and prioritising rest is admirable and not something to feel shameful about, you are not lazy for sleeping in, you are not lazy for not finishing all the housework, you are not lazy for choosing to stay home and you are definitely not lazy for doing nothing. Rest is productive

Just to be clear when I say “doing nothing” I don’t mean scrolling on social media. As much as it can be an amazing tool for marketing, motivation, inspiration and keeping in touch with friends, it’s also an energy exchange, that can be incredibly draining. Mindlessly consuming content may seem like an easy way to switch off the brain but that mindless scrolling is still taking your energy, it’s not restorative rest, it’s actually draining your battery further into the red

Especially if you’re someone who typically feels guilty for taking breaks, by looking online to see what others are doing and creating, you could end up consciously or subconsciously comparing yourself to them and feel ashamed for taking time out to rest

“Rest” may look different for everyone, some may need to catch up on sleep, meditate in silence or snuggle up on the couch with a good book and others may need to take some time out in nature, to lay on the grass or swim in the ocean. Whatever that rest needs to be for you to reconnect to yourself and recharge, give yourself permission to do that. It’s not always about sleeping or going on a holiday to relax, it can be about intentionally allowing your mind and body to take a break from so much doing and just focusing on being, instead. Being present with yourself, being present with how you feel and being present with your surroundings

So many people are afraid of being alone with their thoughts and are intentionally distracting themselves so they don’t have to feel their emotions and others might not realise just how distracted they actually are. When you finally stop and listen to your body, you may be surprised just how disconnected you have become

Sometimes we overcommit to others and put their needs before our own, but the truth is when we take the time to fill our own cups up first, we can become better versions of ourselves, giving us the energetic capacity to hold more and achieve more, ultimately allowing us to be better for them as well

How often do you make your relationship with yourself a priority?

How often do you make rest a priority?

How often do you sacrifice your rest, for others?

Have you ever considered scheduling rest into your week the same way you would schedule time for a friend?

Have you ever considered how much energy you’ve exerted during the day and plan out how much sleep you’ll need at night?

Have you ever considered just how effective you could be if you allowed time to rest and recover properly?

When we are overstimulated and tired it can become extremely difficult to focus and think clearly, that’s why it’s so important to allow time to do nothing at all, by doing so, you’re creating space for your imagination to run wild and that’s when inspiration and new ideas can come in to ignite the spark of creativity again

Personally, I’ve noticed some of my greatest awarenesses and inspirations have hit when I’ve been driving, not really focusing on anything at all. It’s in those quiet moments that true creative vision can come to life because I’m open to what’s meant to come through instead of distracted by the world around me

It’s important to discuss other aspects of our lives that can impact the quality of our rest as well, consider your lifestyle, the people around you, the media you consume and the food you eat…

Are these areas of your life, limiting you or supporting you?

Is your home somewhere you feel safe to relax and be present?

Are you surrounding yourself with people who want the best for you?

Is the food you’re eating nourishing your body and aiding in its recovery?

Are you drinking enough water?

Is social media something that inspires you or does it cause doubt and anxiety for you?

Are you moving your body enough?

Is the rest your getting recharging you or just getting you by?

Are you outdoors enough and getting enough sunshine?

These are some questions to ask yourself and be honest about. The answers could be major factors in why you wake up feeling unrested and unexcited about your day

Something that really helps me when I’m feeling overstimulated, overwhelmed or stressed out is taking the time to reset my nervous system and returning to the present moment. So often we end up going through life on autopilot, in a state of fight, flight or freeze, dissociating from our current reality and mentally checking out just to get through the day

My go-to way of calming my nervous system is laying on the ground, with my knees bent at a 90-degree angle resting on a couch (or anything that height) and allowing my body to soften, focusing on deep, restorative breaths and reminding myself that I am safe

A few other things that help me reconnect and ground back into my body are: Listening to music, stretching, breathwork, expressing my emotions, releasing stagnant energy through any kind of movement, being in nature and journaling

So many people form identities around their careers, being successful and staying busy but it’s not sustainable for our mental health to continuously put work above all else. It’s often the people bragging about their success and expensive lifestyle who are the most unhappy and least fulfilled. That’s not to say that success and nice things aren’t wonderful and well earned, but those who know when to prioritise work and when to prioritise rest are the ones who thrive. Work/life balance doesn’t necessarily exist because there will always be times when one needs more attention than the other, but understanding that rest is immensely important is essential for sustaining a healthy mindset and an enjoyable life

Please remember that no job, friendship, relationship or circumstance is worth more than your mental or physical health. You get to make yourself, your rest and your health a priority and be unapologetic about it