With the first month of 2012 behind us, how are those resolutions going? Do you feel guilty because you’ve decided that it’s just too much to organize your whole house, take up yoga, get promoted at work, journal every day, AND lose at least 10 pounds? Well, it turns out that recognizing your limits and taking a break now and then may be the most challenging and the most necessary resolution on your list.
Whenever I have a day off or even a few hours off to spend as I wish, I often feel like collapsing into my bed, turning off the light and taking a nice long nap. What stops me? Guilt. The phrases, “I’m not being productive!” or “I have so much to do!” run through my head, keeping me from what I need…rest! How could I possibly waste my time being idle when I could get so much done? The truth is that the very thing that needs to get done is doing nothing at all. Aside from the obvious physical health benefits of rest, there are many psychological and emotional benefits that we often don’t think of.
Soak it in.
Often called “transitional space” in the psychology world, rest allows our brain to absorb the work we have done and the information we have been processing. When we give our minds the transitional space they need, we are able to not only properly process the information we have previously taken in, but also approach our work with fresh eyes and a new perspective when we return. Resting and being “non-productive” can actually make our work more productive in the end.
Thrive! Don’t survive.
Sometimes I feel like I am in a constant state of preparing for the next. Straight A’s in high school got me into an esteemed university, which led to the graduate school of my choice, which helped me perform well to get the best internship and good reference letters to get my dream job. If you are like me, you often feel as if you are surviving your own life. Life can often be about getting through to the next appointment, job, chore, or task. The guilt of stopping your over-scheduling is hardly conducive to thriving and actually enjoying the life that you are building.
Check in with yourself.
When we are busy and overly programmed, we can’t hear ourselves think or be in touch with our emotions. It’s as if the busy schedule numbs all sense of contemplative thought or emotional need. The problem is that our emotions become merely numbed and not gone. When we are unaware of our feelings, we tend to react to situations instead of acting on situations. This reactivity neither gives to our relationships nor ourselves. Rather, when we take the time to sit with ourselves and discern our feelings, we are much more likely to communicate effectively with ourselves and our relationships, making our lives much more productive and healthy.
Photo Credit: http://teadolls.tumblr.com/post/17234471565