Hustle vs. Rest
Why is it so hard to take a break?
Back in the day, I wasted a lot of long weekends worrying about work, having anxiety about what I needed to do when I got back to work, getting caught-up in emails about yet another “emergency”.
I wasn’t really taking a well-deserved break. It seemed more important to show that I was still engaged. still available, still on the clock.
It’s so much a part of our culture these days. I’m sure you feel it. There’s that ego-badge when you’ve handled an emergency on a long weekend, a feeling of belonging that you were included on a email chain about the latest urgent thing. No one is bragging, “Man, I got so much rest this weekend.” Hustle seems more important than rest.
Worrying rather than resting?
Are worrying about a work issue right now? Is it actually a good use of your time?
What if you used this time to rest or play? Could you be filling yourself up by really taking a break, connecting with others, being active, doing something creative?
Rest and Play.
There’s a lot of evidence that suggests that taking time off makes you more effective. I borrowed this image from Jennifer Moman Voss, another Martha Beck coach and Martha’s CEO.
The “Clean Loop of Faith” shows the interplay between resting and playing (if we’re really in the zone, work can feel like play). It shows a new model whereby we dream, take inspired action, manifest, feel gratitude, rest and dream again.
It includes rest as part of the creative process. It’s not an afterthought, but an integral part of the process.
What would be more restful right now?
What if you caught yourself when you start to think about a work drama and decide to think about something else. Maybe you could put your phone away and working on a creative project or read a novel. How about going for a walk and noticing your surroundings, rather than being lost in thought about work stuff.
Start with you.
Maybe you could really decide to take in the final official weekend of summer – its sunsets, its lazy afternoons, its pause before the busy-ness of the coming months.
Take a cue from the baby horse in the photo above and take a nap. Choose actual resting. Or playing. Choose you.
