The Art of Rest

original photo from lia griffith

"Everyday I'm hustlin'." - Rick Ross

For most of us 20-somethings in the workforce, or those grinding to get in, that beautifully composed lyric rings true. We have to hustle. We are young, new, fresh faces that have to work extra hard to make a name for ourselves. We have to hustle in this million-mile-per-hour world we live in nowadays. Everything moves so quickly - information spreads like wildfire! It's not even a matter of reading a newspaper or watching the news, it is looking on your Facebook newsfeed or your Twitter - if you aren't synced in, if you aren't as efficient as our technological age, you are already behind. And for some people, that doesn't bother them, but there are plenty of people (like me) who feel the need to be moving as fast as the world around us. There's one little problem, though... it isn't possible. We cannot be that fast and live a happy life! 

Rest is so key.

Our very visual and information-overload world is daunting when you think about it. We are bombarded by images, sounds, people, technology... it is exhausting. But instead of being exhausted, most people have to push through, grab another coffee, and continue working. And they don't stop. To me, though I am someone who enjoys being busy (I had to learn to enjoy it, working three jobs and being a full time student will do that for ya), I do enjoy that period of rest. That little sliver away from work becomes much more valuable after a long week of working hard. I think I have come to rely on one day of rest - whether only part of it is true rest, I need that one day a week (at least) where I get to choose how I spend my day. I wrote recently about Weekend-ing and how I love to spend my time on the weekends. I've been working full time for over six months and finally having an actual weekend concept is fantastic. This past weekend, I spent an entire day doing nothing. I watched Netflix, played with my dog, and even took a nap. I didn't even get into my car until that night when I went out to dinner. It was magical.

Your body needs rest. Whether your version of rest is yoga, reading, a bath, watching a movie with friends, or watching Netflix like I do, you need it. Every week, for a sustained amount of time. I am also a big proponent of taking at least an hour each day to do something restful (again, that could double as your daily dose of exercise - something like yoga is relaxing and healthy!) to recharge your body. Everyone is different and requires different things, but I think all humans require some time to do what makes them feel good. We have to slow down, it is healthy for the mind and body. We can hear our bodies better when we wind down, too. I know I didn't need an entire day to do nothing, but once in a while (maybe once a month) is great. This weekend was interesting for me because I also didn't have anything planned for Sunday... but I felt much differently on Sunday when I went to do the same as Saturday. I couldn't stand not having anything to do! I ended up driving around slightly-aimless, I just couldn't sit and watch Netflix again... which made me very happy. I was glad and relieved to know that I wasn't a complete lazy mess! I felt much better about my Saturday (yes, I was feeling a little guilty before that) knowing I was still my busy bee self, wanting to get up and go seize the day - I just needed that one day of nothing. 

It is okay to slow down, to take some time for yourself. It is healthy and normal. It can help reaffirm your drive, get you out of a rut, and get you going on your next plan of attack. If you are working, chances are you are working hard, which is hard to break. Find that little window of time to unwind, then get right back into your hustle. It will always wait for you, regardless of how fast life may seem :)

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