Let yourself rest!
Have you ever heard this phrase? Have you ever done this? Most of us do not take time for ourselves. This may be for many reasons, from you don’t have time to laze about, or you have too much to do or other people will think of you as lazy.
Well I’m here to tell you to change your mindset – letting yourself rest is not being lazy, indeed it takes a lot of courage to let yourself rest.
Take a moment to think of someone you think of as courageous. You’re probably thinking of someone who engages in high adrenaline activities or speaks out against all the odds or perhaps a friend who starts their own business, even doing something new, someone who is not afraid of change, someone who challenges themselves.
Take a moment to think of how you perceive someone who lets themselves rest. What words come to mind? Lazy, can’t be bothered, self-indulgent, self-centred, selfish and more???
Well I’m here to tell you that individuals who let themselves rest are actually very brave – they are courageous.
You may have or will have been conditioned (learn more from my book 7 Attributes for Success) from an early age that you are lazy if you rest, you have been told that you must work hard and push yourself to be considered a valuable individual in society. Many self-employed, freelance individuals consider taking a rest as being lazy. You’ve been told from an early age that you should use every minute of every day in reaching your goals. Even positive labels and past conditioning can have a negative effect for example if you’re a high achiever and are praised for your achievements you might consider pushing yourself beyond what you are capable of and end up burnt out. If you’re a creative person (and I know many) you may or probably have been told you’re lazy and shouldn’t waste your time.
All of us have been hit with such labels from a very young age, whether by parents, teachers, authority figures, even friends. These labels impact you so much so that you end up never letting yourself rest!
We are surrounded by messages that we should work harder and longer hours. No wonder stress is on the increase and research shows employee burnout is on the increase. Stress and burnout not only affects work but also impacts on personal relationships.
So why is stress and burnout on the increase? Because we have forgotten how to let ourselves rest.
Further conditioning over the years has told us that success means monetary wealth and having material possessions. However, you just need to look around at those who do have monetary wealth and yet some (not all) are unhappy. Now I know we need money to live. Just think of those who are having to make choices of whether to heat or eat – some have no roof over their heads. Be kind to those in need and be grateful if you do have enough food and a roof over your head.
My first published book was title 7 Attributes ford Success (Inner Success and Happiness). I emphasised that happiness and success was from within – you need to be at peace with yourself. It also means taking time for yourself, to rest and just be. If your whole life is about working, then you are missing out on living.
My later updated book is about being resilient, titled, Resilience and Courage: The Key to Endurance. There are tips on how to take time to be yourself and that you can find inner happiness and inner success.
Take a moment to think of someone who has worked for years and years, focusing totally or mainly on making money so that they can retire in comfort but often find it’s not enough or worse still they die early,
Of course you might be working hard or harder because you need or think you need to prove your worth. A friend once told me that she saw colleagues at work always carrying a bit of paper or notepad so they looked busy – she said she even bought into this too! When you feel you always need to be working or appearing as if you are always working remember that all you are doing is choosing this over your own wellbeing and inner happiness.
Try to find a balance. Stop trying to fill your calendar every minute or make your lengthy to-do lists in a bid to prove you are worthy. Stop thinking you are lazy.
Easier said than done I hear you say. I’m human too and I found myself in the trap of thinking I was lazy in the last few weeks because some projects/work had come to an end and I had nothing to do. I started to feel guilty. When I rested I was not really resting, I was agitated that I should be doing something. Only when I started to do my own exercises about past conditioning, and how labels impacted me. I turned to my ABC to ground myself and remind myself that I needed me time.
When I let myself rest I found the energy to do something – starting with this blog and the previous one which you should read about saying goodbye to January and February which had taken their toll on many of us.
I recommend you read in my books 7 Attributes for Success or Resilience & Courage my ‘first’ attribute (awareness/self-awareness) as this requires you to challenge your belief system and think about ditching the past conditioning labels. I also recommend you read about my ‘third’ attribute (audacity/brave) and use affirmations such as saying the words ‘I have the courage to let myself rest’ and ‘I am brave’. These empower you but also bring a sense of calm and inner happiness. Learn about my ABC.
Challenging your beliefs and using affirmations in this way also means you are consciously choosing to change your mindset and the way you perceive resting. When you let yourself rest, believe it or not, you will find that you improve your mental, emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing. It takes hard work and effort to change your mindset but then anything worthwhile takes hard work!
Take action, start now, it’s never too late but remember only you can change you.
Stop living life as if you’re running out of time. Be in the present.
Be brave. Let yourself rest.
Remember to SMILE and LAUGH they cost you nothing.
Virtual hugs to all.
Patricia x
