How I learned to Rest

A few years ago, in 2017, I hit a wall. I owned several businesses at the time, and I was trying to figure out some new approaches to marketing, but what I ended up doing was running those businesses into the ground, because I didn't know when to stop working. I was burned out, frustrated, and exhausted. I ended up having to take a job at a call center, and each time, within the first few months, that I tried to do anything to resurrect those businesses I found myself continuing to hit obstacles.

Eventually I realized I didn't have it in me to restart those businesses. I realized I just needed to rest and recover from my burnout. I spent the next 6 months mostly reading and thinking and reflecting on my mistakes. I ultimately discovered that I wanted to pursue my writing, and ventured into self-publishing. But I also learned a crucial lesson and it was this: I needed to build rest into my schedule.

When I didn't make time to rest and relax I inevitably found that I didn't feel as creative or inspired as I would have felt if I had just given myself some time off. I felt burned out, uninspired and trying to write became a chore instead of something I could actually enjoy.

When I made time to rest and relax, writing became much easier for me. I discovered something important as well. If I wrote for only a couple of hours I would get more writing done than if I tried to force myself to write for longer periods of time. I came to realize that while some writers can put in more time, I simply couldn't and that trying to force myself to write more brought me back to the experience of burnout I had gone through previously.

So often, in our society, we are told that we have to be productive all the time, but sometimes this is simply not realistic. While it is important to make time each day to do whatever it is you do, for work, or as a side hustle, I think its equally important to build rest, reflection and relaxation into your life.

One of the ways I do it is to make time for the activities that rejuvenate. When I wake up in the morning I do a qi gong routine to help me get my day started. When I go on lunch break I spend part of that time meditating. And through all of it I still find time to write, even though I am working a full time job. I write in the morning after qi gong, and I make more time on the weekends and what I find is that the writing gets done. It doesn't always get done as quickly as I'd like it to, but it gets done and that's what matters.

Yet it wouldn't get done if I didn't rest, if I didn't make time to meditate, or do qi gong or take a nap. When we push ourselves all the time, we'll inevitably hit a wall we can't break past, and then we'll be lying flat on our backs, exhausted because we haven't given ourselves permission to take care of ourselves.

One of my favorite ways to rest is to read. I love to take a couple hours and just start reading some of the books I'm working my way through, giving myself some time to soak in the knowledge and let it steep in the subconsciousness of my mind. This too becomes a form of rest and relaxation, an opportunity to take information in, instead of having to always put it out. In fact, I find that my best writing happens precisely because I give myself the time to take information in and consider it in relationship to what I'm seeking to put out there.

I have learned that I can't get all the things done, so its better to rest, relax and then focus on what really matters. Resting has taught me that, showed me that in taking time to relax and recover, I can also discover what I really want to do, so I can actually get those things done.