10 types of rest
There are many different ways you can allow your body to find rest and replenishment...
Because there are many different ways your body may be calling for rest...
Some needed more than others at varying times.
A rest from pleasing others
This is your permission slip to say no to things you really don’t want to do or just don’t have the energy to do. You are allowed to back out of obligations but much better off not feeling inclined to say yes to more things on your to do list that don’t really align for you, your families needs or your energy capacity!
A rest to Connect with Nature
Time in green spaces, surrounded by trees, open fields, whatever nature inspires you has been shown to rejuvenate a spirit and expand energy on a soul level. When was the last time you watched the treetops move in the wind, or a leaf float down a stream of running water? Go and BE in nature, without the urge to rush through.
A rest that rediscovers lost creativity
We have forgotten what it’s like to spend an afternoon immersed in our creative energy. A generation that has been urged to monetise our hobbies, we have been directed to constant hustle. You don’t have to be good at it… paint for the fun of painting without needing it to be on display. Try a hobby just for the fun of it. Be bad at making stuff.. Just spend time creating and playing in your own ways.
A rest in quiet solitude in your own home
Especially as Mothers, alone time is sacred. So so rare. So so required. The quiet humm that can drive us crazy is needed to hear the call of our spirit. To let our thoughts and ideas marinate into becoming. Often caught up in the busy-ness of family life, we don’t get to hear ourselves think. So we forget what we like, who we are and what we want.
A rest from making decisions
The mother is very often the leader of the home. The decision fatigue is real! I despise deciding what is for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I want at least one day off a week where someone else can make that decision for me and just make sure I’m eating… is that too much to ask? The rest to be able to hand over the reigns of the family and say you make some decisions, I’m going to be taken care of over here for a bit. It requires some trust and some predetermined communication but it is doable… I’m sure if it!
A rest from responsibility and hyper vigilance
The mother is always on call, day and night. Once you become a mother, you are always a mother, they are always your babies and you will never stop giving your emotional capacity to your family. The emotional exhaustion is real. Nourishing your nervous system will help, finding safety in trusted spaces and communities will help. Releasing some of your fears hiding in your shadow will help.
A rest from being on social call
The modern age of communications means you are always available. But it doesn’t have to be. Taking breaks from socials is a necessary rest. Taking time out from emails, phone calls a necessary boundary. You can turn on do not disturb on your phone for certain house of the day. You can leave your phone outside of the bedroom overnight. Create a boundary that works for you to switch off and allow yourself some social rest.
A rest to get lost in a good book
Stories ignite our imagination, our creativity, our sense of adventure and passions. Even if you are not a book worm you can find rest in stories in the form of podcasts or audiobooks or even watching a good movie or series on the TV. I will not villanise this - it is a valid form of rest and has many different outcomes. Including helping you to switch off and escape into a fantasy for a little while.
A rest to nourish your body with good food
Taking time to be slow and mindful with your food. The process of gathering, wandering through the produce market, selecting your pieces from smell and texture. To prepare and cook your food with love. To eat with loved ones, or simply enjoying the food alone. Nourishing your body with quality wholesome ingredients, igniting your body with sensation and flavour.
A rest to do as you please without productivity
So often we have been conditioned to feel guilty of ‘wasting our time’ doing frivolous activities that have no outcome or purpose. To be seen lazing on the lounge with a book, to be seen wandering aimlessly in the garden. Conditioned to come up with an excuse or provide an explanation of how much work we have done to deserve five minutes so ourselves. You are allowed to take time for yourself without having a valid cause.
What type of rest is your body calling for at the moment and how will you choose to honour that rest today?
Struggling to see how it’s so easy to rest and rejuvenate?
Book a free connection call with me and we can talk it out and see what your best move could be to overcome this!