I know it may feel like it, but resting is not a waste of time....
Contains: Comfort, Advice, Reassurance
I've been having a rough couple of weeks mentally and physically with changes in medication, some medical diagnoses, and trying to work and live my way through them, and sometimes I need to remind myself that if I'm exhausted, it's for a reason, and that I'm not a bad person for taking time to rest if I need it. I figure that at least some of you all may feel the same, so I hope this audio helps as a reminder that resting is important. 💚
~Audio Transcript Below~
I know you might think that it's your fault that you've been feeling the way that you have.....that there's something wrong with you or that you're getting worse or that you're allowing yourself to get worse.....but I just want you to remember that sometimes......you just need to rest.....
If you're tired, there's a reason that you're tired.....and honestly, surviving in the world as it is today is more than enough explanation as to why you might be exhausted. It could be things in your life changing, like medications, or family, or the thousands upon thousands of other things that could be making you feel this way, but please know that it doesn't make you a worse person, and it doesn't mean that you're getting worse.......
That line of thinking can lead you down into a spiral that can actually make things worse......
If you're tired....then please rest.....and I mean, actually rest.....whether that means taking several naps a day.....reading a new story if you have the brain for it, or revisiting a favorite one if you don't. Listen to music without any other distractions, or watch a television show that makes you happy.......
I know the temptation might be to dive into your hobbies.....and that can also be a way of resting, but—as harsh as this may sound—there are many hobbies that are 'production' based at their core. Art, writing, jewelry, fiber arts, etc.....and while you may enjoy those, while they may be your passion, what you want to do for the rest of your life even...in this state, how you're feeling right now.......it might not offer you the rest that you're seeking....or the rest that you're needing.....simply because to our brains, for the most part, it doesn't matter what kind of 'production' it might be, work or hobby.....all it sees and feels is the production, and those hobbies can actually be counter productive to rest. It honestly might even be contributing to the lack of interest or passion in doing any of your hobbies in the first place.
So play video games if you like them, or board games, or anything of the like.....maybe go for a walk, or play with a pet if you have one......just something that doesn't involve production, as painful as it might be to think of your hobbies that way.
We're all burn out some way in this bitch of a world, and rest taking priority over production might feel like a giant waste of time, or you might feel guilty for doing so.....but please remember to give yourself grace, and remind yourself that if you keep pushing....if you keep ignoring the need to rest.......then your body and brain will make you rest, and that often has a worse outcome.....
The world will not end if you rest right now......so take a few breaths, close your eyes, and remind yourself that you are doing your best, and whatever percentage of best that is, even if it's 0.01%....that's enough.....
Please be kind to yourselves, and remember that you are a person, a little ecosystem, and every ecosystem needs rest and time to bloom after a fire, whether it be as small as a campfire, or as large as a wildfire....
Take whatever rest that you can, give that to yourself....everything will be ok in the meantime.....