Small business owners, leaders and professionals find it hard to come out of the hustle culture. REST is productive and creative excercise. Here is a personal sharing of a time when I hit the pause button.
Rest is productive.
When this comes from a workaholic like myself, you ought to listen up.
I am a person who likes to be occupied with something at all times. I will admit that even things like ‘Me-time,’ ‘shopping,’ ‘self-care are listed as a task in my to-do list. They don’t just happen. I make time for it.
So, when I decided to slow down, it ought to be counted as a life event.
Putting REST on top of the list was new for me, but I am so glad that I managed to do it.
This unexpected feat was triggered by a massive change that was occurring in my personal space. My son, who is surprisingly is 18 now, was moving to the US for his undergraduate studies. Being a mom who is overly attached to her son, this change could have been quite shattering if I hadn’t allowed myself to take time off to process my emotions and prepare myself for the change.
The majority of people count Rest as sleep, movie nights, lazy weekends, a spa visit, or even vacation. But this time around, I took Rest by slowing down, taking deep breaths, turning inwards, and focusing on self-awareness for nearly three months. I also allowed myself to wander into crazy new topics like Human Design and getting a Tarot card reading done (a first for me ever!)
I also confess that a pause for that long might make it harder to bounce back later on. But after a couple of months of intensive client work, networking, and podcast interviews, this seemed to be an optimum time stretch for me.
I share with you here some key outcomes from this longish Rest period which will help you come up with your own inquires and focus on what matters the most for you-
Being more present in relationships:
My only child was moving out of home but I was in no mood to be struck by ‘empty-nester syndrome.’ I wanted to handle this life event mindfully to cope with the significant shift and also be more present for my son, for whom the apprehensions and transitions were even bigger. This time taught me to be more available to the emotional needs of myself and my loved ones by which meant putting away digital distractions when there was a conversation happening and removing the social media apps from the phone.
Harmonious living:
I would like to credit this aspect of the pause to my friend Laura Rotter, who shared a heartfelt post on Linkedin about a great book she had read – Overwhelmed and Over It by Christine Arylo. This book alone led me to an entirely new realm of working, succeeding, and managing a full life that is infused with clarity and courage. I have been practicing yoga and meditation for 22+ years, but it was only after reading this book, digging deep into the awareness inquires, and following the yogic + spiritual practices that I became more centered and connected to self, the people around me, and my purpose.
Reinforced my strengths:
Just at the cusp of my ongoing project completions and slowing down, I was selected into the cohort of OSSA Podcast Accelerator. Inside this podcast mentoring program, I found a thriving community of global podcasters and the opportunity to learn from the best podcast industry experts. The 4 am calls, and weekly assignments felt like a breeze because prioritization and time management come easily to me, and thus I was able to strike a balance between learning and resting.
Rekindled friendship with self:
Those who know me even a tiny bit can tell for sure that I love being around people. I love to network, reach out to connect, and converse on diverse topics. But as I started to have days full of long silences, meditations, music, cooking, journaling, reading, and just talking to myself….I (re)discovered that I like to be in my own company 🙂
Stop worrying and start living:
This is a book by Dale Carnegie that I had read ages ago. But it is only now that I have come to put it into practice. Not that my days were snail-paced during the pause as there was much running around happening with all the college prep for the kiddo, but then there was a sense of calm and stillness that reassured me that the universe has my back; it always has a better plan than what I could ever layout for myself. So…take a chill pill!
In this time and space, when we are constantly subjected to messages of being more and doing more. It is challenging to pause to reflect, reconnect and retain. But know this from my experience that Doing Nothing is profound.
It can take you places which you could never have imagined. It can give you expressions that you never knew existed. It can make you feel the emotions that can define a new you. So do not go on a vacation. Do not go for a retreat. Do not wait for the right time to come. Take a pause. Take some Rest to hit refresh.