I’m realising more and more just how productive rest is.
Traditionally, rest used to be thought of as activities that felt relaxing (putting your feet up on the sofa, sleeping, etc) but I think it’s deeper than that.
I see rest as synonymous with creating space for myself.
My daily exercise feeds into rest (at the moment that’s going to the gym, walking, or both), as does time reading in bed, in the shower… anything which is energising.
One way to think of it is when your brain is producing the restful theta waves that are brought about from mindful activities, and are present after a night’s sleep. I’ve so often had a “brainwave” (literally) in the shower, on a walk, when I’m journalling, or even when I’m drifting in and out of sleep.
Over the weekend, I was out with a friend for a few hours on Friday evening, I saw another friend in the day on Saturday, and I spent Saturday evening at a small family gathering at home. I knew that, given the people-time in the previous couple of days, as nourishing as it was, I would need to go slow and consciously create extra space for myself on Sunday. And so I did exactly that.
For me, resting — or creating space — is a key component of being productive. It’s why I’m continuing to create space for myself each day.
I’ve realised that the life I live is propped up in equal parts by the time I spend being productive, vs the time I spend resting. Rest is sometimes the most productive option you can choose, like I did on Sunday.
from,
Jasraj