Give Yourself Permission To Rest

Every morning, when I wake up and get out of bed, the first thing I do is make my bed. Sheets are re-tucked, comforter is smoothed out and all of the pillows are fluffed and neatly stacked. For me, it signals the “transition” into my waking hours. I also like knowing that when it’s time to go back to bed, all I have to do is pull back the covers and tuck myself in.

At some point during the middle of the pandemic though, I hit the wall. One morning I got up to get my daughter squared away for school and get the dogs out and fed, and I thought to myself “I’m just too tired today.” That morning I chose to leave my bed unmade with the thought that once everyone was settled “I’d crawl back in for a little extra sleep.” And you know what happened? I didn’t need to. Once I got up and moving, had my morning cup of tea and took the dogs for a walk, I found the energy to stay up and moving. I did end up popping back into my room to make my bed though before heading to my desk for the day. 😂

 

And ever since that day, when I’m feeling particularly worn out, I leave my bed unmade when I get up and give myself permission to come back to it if needed. The amazing thing is, giving myself the permission to rest often gives me the strength to push through. There have been days over the past year where I have crawled back into bed due to burnout and exhaustion (it’s real), but more often than not, once I get up and moving I stay up and moving (and always go back and make my bed).

As entrepreneurs, we love the hustle, we love the grind, we love being able to say we gave 110%, but we often forget that we’re still human and need to rest and recharge as well. Stepping away from your desk in the afternoon to take a walk and clear your head is not a waste of time, it’s actually an investment in your health and overall productivity. Choosing not to check your work email on a Sunday isn’t being lazy, it’s a sign of respect for yourself and your family to spend time alone or together. And giving yourself permission to rest when you’ve hit the wall isn’t weakness, it’s the self grace we all deserve to be our best selves (as opposed to the tired and burned out version who isn’t very productive or effective). So the next time you’re feeling worn out, give yourself permission to rest. You may not end up needing it, but knowing that it’s an option might make all the difference.

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