My Work Is Rest

Living in the age of social media we are constantly bombarded with images, videos, clips, etc. of what others are doing and it can leave a lot of us feeling, or more specifically me feeling like I am not doing enough. There is always the possibility of more, working more, “grinding” harder, hustling, less sleep; all of these notions and phrases that are paraded around to make us feel like this is the highway to success and if you choose not to do these things you are simply lazy. This year I have promised myself that instead of listening to the endless chatter about working harder, I will continue to look inward and listen to what my mind, body, and spirit needs. Ignoring the things I need is a disservice to myself and the only thing I am ever truly obligated to do is care for myself. That of course inevitably includes working, but not at the expense of my health both physically and mentally.

For me, rest is not about simply taking naps when I feel a little fatigued, but instead is about listening to and putting myself first. Rest includes not only sleeping when I feel tired or soaking in a bath when I need to relax, but also meditating when I notice that I am feeling anxious or cleaning and organizing my space when I am feeling out of control. A huge part of resting for me this year is about recognizing that there is no higher power over me other than myself; not my job, school, my family, etc. It is up to me to listen to my mind and body when she speaks and that should be the only entity that dictates what I do. In this way my body is my workplace and my mind and spirit is my boss in every way that truly counts, she is who I report to and who I must always show up for. When my body tells me that she has been stagnant for too long and needs to move I will oblige her and dance or go for a walk and when she says that she is hungry I will nourish myself. When I have been working all day and studying all night and my mind tells me that I am completely exhausted I will take a day off to reset so that I can show up in the world as the best version of myself when I am ready. When my spirit tells me that she needs to be surrounded by love from others I will spend time with my family or plan a day with a friend and when it is clear that I have spent too much time around people and am now drained I will silence my phone and carve out a day that only involves me (and my cat because I am never tired of her).

In the world as it is today, we are expected to always put something or someone else besides ourselves first and in the past I have always thought that my worth is found within what I do for others or how productive I am. So, in order to truly prioritize rest I have to prioritize myself and to do that I first had to realize that my worth is not measured in what I do for others or how many hours I put into working for someone else, but instead understand that I am whole and that I am enough simply for existing. I am still as valuable if I decide to lay on the couch binge watching The Vampire Diaries all day as I am when I have worked over time at my job or spent the entire day studying for a test I do not want to take. This year I am making a promise to myself that is virtually impossible to break because it is much easier than I have ever realized. I simply have to honor myself by putting my own needs first and that is inevitably the most peaceful and restful way to live.