Question #25
“How do I make time for rest?”
Dear V,
I had to learn to change the way that I thought about rest. It used to be that rest was a reward for getting through a busy week or a tough season. Now I rest before and in between the busiest times of life. And it’s made such a difference. For one, I used to get sick every break in college and grad school, and now, I rarely get a cold because I don’t push my body as hard as I used to. Here are some important ways to build a restful life:
Have a consistent and dedicated bedtime, with a wind-down routine. It takes me about two hours to actually go to sleep from the time I say I’m going to bed, so I try to start that process earlier. (I don’t two anything specific, it’s just how long it takes my brain to be ready from the thought of going to bed to the point of actually falling asleep.)
Balance out busy days when you can. If I have a stressful week, I stay in over the weekend, and vice versa. As much as I have control over my schedule, I try to insert rest points wherever I can, instead of waiting to rest at the end of a busy season
Have some idle time. In my busiest moments, I try to have unstructured time when I can, to allow my brain to relax a bit. This could be time to binge watch some Netflix, or listen to music, or just lay in bed and play games on my phone.
Use your PTO/vacation/days off. It’s nice to use your PTO when you’re going on a big trip, but sometimes, you can just use it because you want a day when you can turn off your alarm and run a few errands at a leisurely pace.
Think about what makes you feel most rejuvenated, even in small ways. Maybe it’s a specific scent, or taking a bath, or putting your feet up in front of the tv. How can you incorporate those moments, even in the smallest ways?
