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Writer's picturetashflowingflamingo

Learning to rest is just not that easy, is it?!

Updated: Oct 30


We are talking a lot about balance this October, and I’ve mentioned how balance can look different for everyone depending on what they need in life right now.

 

Well, for me balance looks like rest. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook (flowing.flamingo) you will have seen me talking a lot about rest this last week.

A yoga teacher resting in Wantage

Since leaving corporate I went into what I’m calling The Great Defrost!! I do have a flare for the dramatics sometimes…I blame my marketing background…or maybe I was just born this way (haha)! Anyway I digress!

 

I entered this period of defrosting which I’ve spoken more about in my blog here https://www.flowingflamingo.com/post/a-little-defrosting, and a big part of this defrost was the realisation that I had very little rest in my life and considered rest to be laziness.

 

Even when I was resting I felt so much guilt that I wasn’t working, training, learning or just generally bettering myself in any way I could. This is honestly just not sustainable and is partially what led to my burn out and into ‘The Great Defrost!’.

 

So I have been teaching myself how to rest. Some of these techniques I’ve been sharing over on my socials, but honestly the biggest barrier to rest is my mental barrier.

a yoga student relaxing in Wantage

It’s the worry that I’m becoming lazy by taking my rest time. That I’m not doing enough, or working hard enough to grow my business. Even though I know that I’m doing everything I can, planting the seeds and allowing them to grow naturally…I still don’t feel like I’m doing enough some of the time.

 

I have worked hard over the last few months to conquer this…to work efficiently when I know I like to work in the morning and then take my rest time in the afternoon where I know I’m never as creative or inspired.

 

As someone who has always been so overscheduled in life I’m taking this into my new routine to help me ease the sense of guilt and scheduling in the time for rest. You might think this is unnecessary, but we must do what we have to in order to work around the misconceptions that our brains have conjured for us.

 

A schedule personally helps me as it feels like I’m still ‘on track’ with my day and holds me accountable to how I’m spending my time.

 

The more I grow and learn…one day I will hopefully be able to get rid of my schedule all together.

 

Here is a picture of my schedule so you can get a peak inside the mind of an overachiever and how much this person craves rest and balance.


Journalling to understand your attitude to rest

I offer you these three questions to help you figure out your attitude towards rest:

 

1.        How do I currently define rest and what activities make me feel truly rested?

 

2.        Do I feel guilty or uncomfortable when I take time to rest? Why or why not?

 

3.        What signs does my body or mind give me when I need to take rest and do I listen to them? Why or why not?

 

Just take a moment to reflect on these and understand your reaction to rest. Are you already a rest queen and loving life or are you like me and need to find ways to introduce more rest into your life??

 

Let me know your thoughts, my DM’s are always open and I love to chat 

 

Love, Tash xx

a yoga teacher in Wantage

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