You Need to Learn to Rest
This week has been hard. Can I be raw? Can I be real with you? Because, sometimes my emotions get bigger than my body. In fact, they get so big that I feel that my physical body will explode. And this is what I‘ve been feeling this week. Everything, every pressure led up to this near explosion.
I had just started a new workout routine that had me getting up at 5:00 am in the morning to get to the gym. I found myself slowly cutting back on sleep, week after week until my body felt completely broken down. I was running on caffeine and carbs just to feel any sort of vaguely alive and awake. It was a dangerous recipe when mixed with a busy season at work, school, and an age-old bipolar diagnosis. I craved rest.
But, I struggled to rest. The self applied pressure I was experiencing to constantly continue being productive, perhaps even perfect, kept me piling my workload high. I kept running–to the gym, to work, to school, to social events. I was hardly staying afloat. I was a caffeine zombie, malnourished and feeling zonked.
However, I write this blog post from vacation. Yes, these last few weeks have been hard, but I made a few changes that allowed me to get through to the other side, to a much needed vacation.
- I forced myself to take a physical break. I know working out is essential for a healthy life, but I had to take a week long break to recover and reset. Trust me, there is no workout worth a sickness and breakdown. Rest. The gym will be there when you are ready to come back.
- I went to bed early and slept in a little extra everyday for a week. Our bodies tell us what they need. If your body tells you that it’s on the verge of physical and mental breakdown, believe it.
- I accepted where I am. Wherever you go, there you are. I want to be perfect. I want to be productive. I want to be the best. However, at some point, I have to value progress over perfection. And taking care of oneself is always progress.
Wherever you go, there you are.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
In this beautiful room on vacation at the MGM Grand Detroit, I am relaxed, comforted, and happy. I know there is so much I would like to do and to improve in my life, but I am acutely aware that all I can do today is accept today as it is and do what I can with what I have. I can work on this blog and work to share my truth. I can celebrate my mother’s birthday in this beautiful resort. I can make plans to accomplish things today and tomorrow–one day at a time.
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Like, really overwhelmed. Like, pushed to the edge overwhelmed. But, I’m learning to rest. I need to learn to rest before I get to the point of dying for rest, but let’s take this day by day, moment by moment.
You might be wondering what all this has to do with self-love, swimsuits, or even what it has to do with you. Well, rest is self-love. Knowing when to slow down and go easy on yourself is self-love.
And I always feel confident and empowered when I throw on a new swimsuit, so you are getting a new picture. Heeeyyyy!
And if there’s anything that I have to share today, it’s that I am not unique in running myself ragged. I know sometimes you do the same. Whether it’s in your motherhood, your career, your life as a student, or whatever, I know you’ve found yourself overwhelmed at times.
Listen up: it’s okay to rest. In fact, it’s required to rest. It’s ideal to rest. Need further proof? Have you ever read the first book in the Bible? Like, when God rested after creating Earth? Did God have to rest? No, but he knew the benefit in it. Let’s be like our image-sake. Let’s not be ashamed to take rest.
I’m glad I’m feeling *much* better. It’s been hard, but I’m doing okay. And in this exact moment, writing this blog, I’m doing swimmingly well!
Until next time,
Joy
