how to actually give yourself rest

from someone who is tired of burning out

how to actually give yourself to rest (from one “always busy” person to another)

1. first, rest is an activity, not “doing nothing”.

2. schedule it in your calendar, just as you would with other events. you don’t find time to rest, you make time to rest.

3. figure out what type of rest you need.

   1. alone time: activities where you are not socializing with others. note: this doesn’t always have to be at home.

   2. break from adulting: activities where you’re not doing adult admin/chores, and you can just show up (and if you’re fortunate, an activity where you’re being care of). eating dinner cooked by your friends, going to an event that is organized by someone else.

   3. no/low-effort activities: activities that need low mental or social capacity. puzzles, listening to music, watching a show.

   4. mental reset: activities that provide mental clarity and pondering. going to the gym, taking a walk, journalling, cleaning your space.

   5. physical: activities requiring little to no physical exertion. reading, eating, sleeping.

   6. connection: activities that connect you to people. calling/facetimeing family and friends, having a conversation with company you enjoy.

4. when you do give yourself time to rest- be present and find joy in it. assess how you feel. if you’re not enjoying it, it’s not rest.

5. find a type of rest that you enjoy. you don’t have to subscribe to traditional forms of rest - my rest will be different from yours.

6. teach yourself to reframe rest. there’s a lot of cliches that work for me:

   1. you need to be productive in order to rest; you need rest in order to be productive

   2. you can’t pour from an empty cup

   3. if you don’t find time to give your body a rest, your body will decide for you

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