May 07, 2013
Alexia Isaak
I'll be the first to confess I'm not very good at resting. I love to stay busy and productive. I even label myself a producer (a title I snagged from my amazingly productive mentor, Rhonda Shasteen). I feel good when I have things to show for my work at the end of my day. So, I don't like to lie around that much and rest, that is, unless the objective of my time is to do nothing but rest. I've written about R&R before, but find it valuable to revisit the subject from time to time since it is so easy to forget.
I devour non-fiction books on personal growth, business, faith, foreign language, or anything that is teaching me something. I almost feel guilty reading fiction;however, in the many non-fiction books I read, I've come across a recurring theme…REST.
There is so much value in taking a day to rest from all things you consider to be work. It can be your job, your side job, or your exercise routine. This advice hit me so much to my core that I decided to try a new approach and take one day of the week as a dedicated a resting day. Christianity and Judaism call it the Sabbath. Regardless of your belief system, a 24-hour period to allow yourself time to recuperate and recharge will allow you a more productive week. There are even studies that show people who rest one day a week are more productive the other six days than someone who works without resting.
Now that I carve out one day, I don't have to wait for a day that just isn't busy, to rest. If I wait for a slow day, it will never come because I love staying busy. On my day off, I read fiction, watch TV and sleep more. I hang out with friends and spend time outside if the weather is permitting. All of these things enrich my being without necessarily producing anything other than a well-rounded, recharged, whole person, and that is worth far more than any one product from the rest of the workweek.
Find time to rest because you can!