I want to let you in on a personal journey that I have been taking as of late. Finding rest has been quite a struggle for me. It seems that during a season where most people are on summer break, scheduling vacations, and taking time off of work, my life has intensified in every area possible. I have realized the necessity of rest, focus, and perspective during this intense season. Here are a few tips for combating an overwhelming season and finding rest.
- You must do your best to step back and gain objectivity. For me it was difficult to see how numerous situations being in upheaval were creating an inability for me to handle every day stressors. Sometimes this is something that we are unable to see on our own. Sometimes it helps to have a friend, mentor, or even a professional (like the team at CRC) evaluate the situation and provide the objectivity necessary to diffuse the situation on all fronts.
- Listen to yourself. Sometimes the last thing we listen to or trust is our own instincts. My body, my emotions and my mind were all telling me I was under too much stress. It is important to notice when your “fuse is short”, when you feel weary, or when you know that your capacity for stress is diminished. If you continue beyond the “breaking point” it can be quite detrimental for your physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Find time to rest and collect your thoughts. The key here is to make time. I was trying to find a few hours a week to fit in some brainstorming, resting, and catch-up. This was not enough. I was only feeling more overwhelmed as a result of stressing to make the time. Set aside a large chunk of time, maybe it starts as a whole Saturday but the essential piece is to be purposeful. Set some goals for yourself, read a book, brainstorm one or two ideas, take a nap, lay by the pool. I was trying to fill my rest time full of activities and brainstorming but the reality is I just needed to let my mind rest. I chose to read a teen novel and lay by a pool for most of the day. Honestly, I struggled with this at first because I felt like I wasn’t being as productive as I would have liked. In the end I realized that I needed that downtime in order to be MORE productive.
- Take control of your time before it takes control of you. It is so easy to always be finding something more to do with our time. There are always people, demands, and chores that call to us on any given day. I had honestly become a slave to time. My schedule was scheduled out to the minute with no room for error or excess. I had to take control of my time instead of letting it take control of me.
Life is busy, I know, but taking control of your life is important. Finding time to rest and recharge is essential. My challenge to you is to make time within the next month to rest. Even if you start with a day, that is great, I know it sounds strange but you will get a lot more done if you only take the time to do nothing.