Maybe you’ll rest after you help your son with his math homework? Maybe you’ll rest after you’ve gotten that promotion you’ve been gunning for? Maybe you’ll rest at the weekend? 

How often do you make rest a priority? Or rather, where does rest land on your to-do-list? Rest is considered a luxury in our fast-paced society and because we value productivity more than we do rest, it is an understated necessity. 

It’s sometimes even the most difficult thing to bestow upon ourselves. I think it was the movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ that got me familiar with the Italian term dolce far niente or the art of doing nothing (as it turns out, it’s an actual thing). Then I was re-introduced to the notion by a wonderful client of mine who had practiced this, guilt free!

So I thought I’d indulge myself, as much as my conscience would allow, for an entire week! It was challenging to not be busied with my usual routine, but I actually got to watching more than 1 episode of a Netflix series (practically unheard of). Not only that, I indulged a little further as my body was calling for some much needed TLC, and booked a massage. 

My rest started taking the shape of something other than just coach potato-ing, but it became more intentional as I moved through the week and felt into what I was really needing. It took the form of a walk in the park with my 2 chihuahuas, a long browse at the local bookstore, a coffee date with myself and a long soak in the tub and being leisurely about reading.

By the end of my rest week, I felt ALIVE, REJUVENATED AND REVIVIED. It was a busy week but I realised rest doesn’t have to look like sleep or couching it infront of the T.V. It grew as a result of reconnecting with the things I really wanted to do but didn’t have the time for.

It may sound completely counter intuitive but sometimes a reset of your usual is exactly what you need to be the most productive!

You are deserving of rest and so is your productivity!

In love and gratitude,