“I know you’re tired. I know you’re physically and emotionally drained. But you have to keep going.” – Unknown
The above quote is labelled as being motivational. It intends to urge people to keep going no matter their feelings. No matter their mental or physical exhaustion. It has placed the task of completion above the task of resting and living. But what if I told you that the very mindset of such a quote is what is causing a lot of people these days to suffer emotional and physical breakdowns?
Our bodies and minds are designed to go, but they are also designed to rest, and without balance, both will suffer to areas none of us want to venture.
It’s easy for us to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and for anyone who is working from home these days, there tends to be more work than there is play due to the lack of separated space between business and personal life.
Personally, I am juggling business, school and my personal life, and I would be lying if I sat here and told you it was a breeze. It’s hard for many reasons, but the most challenging part is finding a balance between the three things that are extremely important to me.
When I am teetering on the edge of burnout, I want to quit everything because the stress and the demands coming from all directions are overwhelming. But what I do is I stop and remember my WHY. I remember I run my business because I am passionate about mental health and helping people. I am in school because I want my diploma and the skills I achieve to help grow my business to new levels, and lasty, my family and friends set the foundation and time with them is rejuvenating. Have you stopped to determine your why? I want to encourage you to take the time to do so, and you will see how things will begin to shift.
I want to share a few things I do when I feel overwhelmed and pressured by the toxic narrative indicated in the above quote.
Practice Mindful Meditation – Medication looks different to everyone. For some, it’s sitting silently or listing to guided meditation. For others isn’t listening to music or going for a walk. The critical thing is that you stop your task and take a break.
Laughter and quality time – Find time to laugh by meeting up with a friend, or listen to a comedy podcast, to name a few. According to Mayo Clinic, laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins released by your brain. It activates and relieves your stress response.
Create a schedule – Find time to plan your day with specified start and stop times and activities you need to complete for the week, and don’t’ forget to schedule times to take a break. We tend to want to do everything in one day, but by separating tasks over the week, your workload won’t seem as overwhelming.
Give yourself a break – Literally! We are our biggest critics. We often extend grace to others but have a difficult time extending that grace to ourselves. Buy yourself a gift, congratulate yourself on a job well done, stop working early on a Friday or any day of the week for that matter and do something you enjoy! Treat yourself as well as you treat others.
“Your obsession with productivity as a function of your worth is preventing you from tending to your soul. Naps are soul care.” – The Nap Ministry
My encouragement to you and myself is to remember that just because we’re taking a break doesn’t mean we won’t achieve our dreams and crush our goals. Make rest a part of your day because when you rest, you make space to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul, so don’t let societal pressures make you feel as if you aren’t doing enough.
I’d love to chat and find out how you are creating space or plan on creating space for rest during these times. Contact me via email or social media. Together we can Overcome, Elevate and Inspire one another.