The Importance of Rest and Relaxation

Dear Stranger,

Have you ever felt that your life's worth depends on your daily productivity? i.e.: the number of boxes you check off for the day, or the amount of hours you spend at your desk? Sometimes it feels like we're wired to constantly work and never to stop, but when we come to that self-awareness, it usually means it's time to rest. In the past few days, I haven't had a true moment to myself, to relax and be happy with the way I've been spending my time. The two choices have become to 1) wake up early and spend an hour before work journaling (morning page people iykyk) and taking my time, only to lack that same hour to finish my tasks at the end of the day...Or 2) wake up early and work from sunrise to sunset, and still never be completely done, making zero room for self-care or leisure. I've tried both ways and, in all honesty, neither seemed too good at first.

The truth is, when you do make time for yourself, you have to make sure it's actually enjoying it in some way, and that doesn't always mean the same thing for everyone and everyday. In school, we've all talked about plenty of ways to de-stress (kind of ironic if you see the whole situation through) and guess what? No two answers were ever the same. While some people would say that meditation worked for them, others disagreed, because in this chaotic world there is no one size fits all. You might be hearing that writing three pages of streaming conscience in the morning is bound to de-clutter your brain, but what if instead, you start dwelling on all the things you should be doing instead of the writing? What if your pages fill up with negative spirals that spin into a grudge towards yourself? To put it lightly, nothing too good.

Some days, what you might need is relaxation and peace. That calming energy that comes from the corny advice your teachers and friends give you about drawing mandalas, or five minute meditations to clear your head. You might need to listen to a podcast, or eat a large comfort meal, or put on your softest clothes. That's one kind of day, and definitely valid, but have you ever had so much pent up energy inside of you, you could not sit still for the life of you?! It's about 50/50 for me. At times when the Calm App doesn't give you comfort, but fuels your fire, you might need something more dynamic, to combat the ticking timer on your sanity. In angry stress, as one might call it, there is sacred energy. If put to actual use, you can do so much good with it! Think about the difference of stress mixed with lethargy vs. the times you are pumping with adrenaline. Go for that run you were indifferent to the day before, clean your room, and when the anger subsides, create something new. At such heights of stimulation, you might as well put yourself to a good use, and I don't mean a good use as in robot-mode, I mean a good use to yourself, you know?

Learn to do things that ~serve~ you, and make you feel more like yourself, rather than tear you down. Listen to your intuition, it will tell you what you need. Do you hear it screaming inside of you, begging to be let out for a run? Does it need a friend, a comforting hug and a slow start to the day? An early night, and a good movie or rest? Look inside yourself and figure out your needs first. Don't blindly subscribe to a journaling commitment if it only brings you stress. Create sacred rituals that make your self-care time worth the participation. Tune in with the type of energy inside of you, and how you feel after you've tended to yourself. Experiment with things that might ease your mind, and notice if it's what you want to do, or if it's an extra task that makes you feel like iRobot.

Oh! And above all, when you know there is no way you will finish all your work in a single day, anyway, carve out an hour to take care of yourself.

Best,

Discardartist