Why Not Taking Rest Time Is Holding You Back
As high achieving perfectionists or just someone with big ambition and goals and living in a hustle culture society that prioritizes products and productivity over wellness and well-being, it’s so easy to get caught in go-go-go and always wanting to do more and achieve more. The issue is, our nervous system is not meant to be in overdrive 24/7 - this leads to burn out! When we are creating, acheiving, and being non stop and particuarly when we are often thinking about others and what they need over ourselves, no wonder were drained and exhausted all the time!
“I don’t have time for rest”
You do. You are just not choosing to prioritize it because it feels pointless. Or on a deeper level..you don’t believe you deserve it or “earned” it. We are not machines and we need rest and time for stillness. It must be a priority or your body will make it one. You can only run on empty for so long.
“I don’t know how to rest”
Days where you do nothing are extremely important. REFRAME the way you view this - ironically resting is actually PRODUCTIVE. You need to slow down to speed back up and get things done again. So if you can look at your down time and rest time as a NEED and a productive need none the less rather than a waste of time, you will slowly in time learn to do it consistently. You will also start feeling better and ultimately show up better for everything else which will reinforce this habit. Rest can look like sleeping more, cancelling plans, reading, meditating, doing a slow yoga or stretch, light easy walks, getting comfy and watching movies and tv, ordering in, taking hot baths, laying on the beach. Do what makes you feel good.
“Resting makes me anxious, I can’t sit still”
You are not alone in this! When you are living in overdrive and have an overactive nervous system, always on the go - slowing down all of a sudden can bring anxiety, restlessness, and racing thoughts. This is because you are wired so your body is telling you to keep going. Rebooting your system is going to take time. Start small with this change and give yourself time to get used to it. Practice deep relaxation exercises (like a progressive muscle relaxation). Sometimes outside of the neuroscience of this, it is the anxiety and thoughts itself. Many people keep busy to not have to face their feelings or deal with their thoughts.
“I feel guilty when I rest”
Our brains really do a lot to not let us sit still. Feeling guilty the entire time you are resting, takes away from you actually resting. So its worth looking into where this comes from and learning to shift the narrative. Remind yourself you are a human who deserves and NEEDS rest. And living in a world like we do today, we automatically inherently deserve rest. It doesnt need to be earned.
In conclusion, there are valid things that hold us back from resting. But please know if you don’t make time for it you are harming yourself and your body will catch up with you one day. Again, ironically, you will find yourself more “productive” and feeling better altogether if you make the time for it. Not resting, taking breaks, or slowing down will lead to burn out and health issues over time. So if you want to be your best self - give yourself permission.
If some of these challenges that get in the way rest for you - I’d be happy to help uncover them and find tangible ways to reframe and work through them along with create a specific plan for you to learn to rest over time.
