[gb] Studio

At some point yesterday, between waking up feeling ‘meh’, and blaming it on allergies, and finishing my project-kickoff meeting with Chef Lilly, a sickness descended on my body. I didn’t really feel it until the excitement of the meeting wore off and I was able to relax a bit, but I could no longer blame it on allergies: I had a full-blown head-cold.

It became clear that I needed to rest. I’d had about 5 hours of sleep the night before (my own stupidity), but I had hoped to work productively through the afternoon and finish the evening with drinks with friends. My body had other plans.

I suck at the practice of resting.

So, I went home to rest. But here’s the problem:
I suck at the practice of resting.

The practice of resting?

I’m a very driven person. I tend toward busyness and I’m content with juggling a lot of projects and a full schedule. But the only way this lifestyle works is if I set aside time to rest.

I love and hate rest. Rest comes in many forms. For me it can be sitting at a coffee shop with a good book, working on something fun that isn’t on my to-do list, running/hiking, or spending a bit of time with a small group of friends.

I love that rest rejuvenates me. I think differently when I rest. I often have good ideas or solve problems while at rest. Rest gets me excited for the next round of productivity.

I hate that rest can force me to slow down enough to examine areas of my life that aren’t going the way I want. I hate that I often don’t feel productive when I rest. The to-do list sits idle. Projects sit un-launched.

I hate that rest does not fit into my schedule or on my to-do list – that it often becomes necessary at times when I haven’t made room for it. I hate that rest can force me to slow down enough to examine areas of my life that aren’t going the way I want. I hate that I often don’t feel productive when I rest. The to-do list sits idle. Projects sit un-launched.

These are all signs that I need to better refine my practice of resting.

Make it a thing.

One of my tendencies is to work until I need to rest. To work until I just can’t be productive any more. Somehow, twisted in my mind, this makes sense. Work until you can work no more. Then rest just long enough to squeeze a bit more work out.

I need to make rest a thing: an actual activity that’s not only ok, but part of life.

This reflects a messed up idea that rest is something to be avoided at all costs. I need to make rest a thing: an actual activity that’s not only ok, but part of life. Something to plan and make time for, something to look forward to. I need to be better at giving myself permission to rest.

I’ve actually achieved a semblance of balance in this area before – but only for short periods of time in my life, never as a long-term practice. So here’s to moving forward – to being healthy (in more than just the physical sense). That’s really what this post is about. Calling out something I need to change and making a bit of a public declaration to “do better.” If you’re in a similar position, hopefully something I said resonated and you’ll join me.

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