To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy. Hippocrates
Congratulations, we have made it through our first week of grueling self-discovery and forced discipline. I’m literally laughing out loud when I cross-reference that statement with all the fun I have had this week walking this out with each of you. Now, if we are being completely honest, it has also been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Late nights, early mornings, deep conversations at every turn not to mention this whole public vulnerability thing...geez Joey...you (and your Tribe) need a break.
Our challenge today is (enter drum roll here) to do nothing. In the name of science, I took myself to the beach yesterday in an attempt to do just that. It is certainly not as easy as it looks. My brain would NOT shut up and that is exactly the part that needed to rest. We talked early this week about the importance of taking a pause, a breath, hitting a :30 second reset button...but to stop everything completely, now that’s just crazy talk...or is it?
Just as our bodies were meant to move and produce and fight and cry and conquer and celebrate, they were also meant to rest. Since the very beginning of creation, rest has been part of our DNA. For many, our personal version of rest is a moment where we are multitasking less...but never stopping the production line completely. My trainer Noah, yells at me on a weekly basis for two things. One, I never take enough time to rest between sets and two, when we are resting...I grab my phone!
Now of course there is a text or email or notification that needs my absolute and immediate attention...or does it? I am certain that it can wait 30 minutes while I prepare my body for the beating this week will bring it, but in my head everything has the potential to be an emergency if not dealt with immediately. Oh, the things we tell ourselves (different conversation for a different day). But today, today we are going to be intentional about putting our body in a state of rest and according to FitBit.com, here is why:
Rest prevents injury. We have all heard the saying “move it or lose it”, well the opposite of that is also true. You overuse it...you’re gonna lose it too.
Your body needs it. You can push and push and push until the cows come home, BUT without allowing yourself to rest, you will never be able to enjoy the benefits of all that momentum in your life.
The world will not fall apart, just because you rested...unless you choose to do it for the next two weeks straight. Then, some things definitely might start to fall through the cracks. Balance ladies, balance.
Over doing it affects our bodies ability to sleep. Too much activity can put your body in a constant state of restlessness or a state of high alert making it impossible to fall asleep. (Is anybody else feeling me here, cause I am reading my own mail with this one.)
You’ll make yourself sick. Without proper rest, our immune system can’t catch up, period. We all know this, but we rarely listen to our own mothering.
Give yourself an edge. When we rest, we rekindle our motivation and reduce burnout (and we have all experienced this a time or two). If you are love what you do or are at least moving the mark on something in your life...and you want to see it continue, you have GOT to find time to recharge your batteries...mentally and physically.
For some of us, this may actually be the hardest challenge yet. Trust me, I know exactly what I am asking you to do. I’m sorta in a panic just typing the word rest and thinking about everything that is on my todo list for today. BUT, my tomorrow deserves a mind and a body that is well rested and ready to play hard ball...and so does yours.
So today we compound our pause by taking a break. Give yourself permission to find AT LEAST 30 minutes today, to do absolutely nothing. Grab some tea, step away from phone, pick up your journal and think about all the things you have going on in your life that require a strong, well rested body...or put on a spa CD, light a candle and take a bath...or don’t. Do the nothing that brings YOU joy. Then bring your well-rested self over to the conversation and tell us how this experience was for you.