Your Right to Rest

Rest
March 1, 2023
Be the Helpee
March 15, 2023
Rest
March 1, 2023
Be the Helpee
March 15, 2023

Your Right to Rest

You have the right to rest. In my last two posts I wrote about the need to rest as one way to reduce feeling miserable. Resting is vital for healing. Everyone does better when they take time to rest and recharge. My guess is that you agree with that as a general principle. How well have you internalized that for yourself? Are you able to give yourself permission to rest and recharge as needed? 

Consider the following barriers to resting and ways to counter them:  

Barrier

Guilt hangover. You take some time to rest – only to have a part of your mind scold you the whole time. This can result in not feeling rested at all. 

Response

Savor your time. Whether you rested for a few minutes or took a whole vacation, take a moment to savor your relaxation. Notice how you feel after resting. Take a photo or jot down a reminder of what you really enjoyed. 

Barrier

Resting or recharging becomes another task. Not only will I go for a walk, but I will get in X number of steps and return that book I borrowed to the library.  

Response

Deliberately disengage from the counting, measuring, and judging. Whew – it feels good to just walk, to wander the library, to pay attention to beauty. 

Barrier

Resting or recharging to please others.  I dread book group, but my friends are telling me I will learn to like it. The only thing I like is the snacks.  

Response

Say “No, thank you,” to the undesired activity. Invite your friends to something you think is fun, if need be, find new friends! (You can keep the old friends. But add a new group that enjoys your style of recharging.) 

Barrier

Feeling silly about doing fun stuff. I know there is a hula hoop group at my gym but I am too old for that sort of stuff.  I will look stupid.

Response

Have fun and laugh as much as you can. What the heck! Being childlike is good for your soul. 

Pay attention to that inner critic, the one that has all kinds of rules about what you should be doing when it comes to resting. Recognize that just like everyone else, you have the right to rest and recharge in ways that work for you.  

To learn more, explore learnmodelteach.com for tools, courses, and coaching opportunities.

Peace,

Laura A. Gaines