Being booked and busy seems to be a badge of honor nowadays but once upon a time peace and slow living were the norm. Even now, those with jammed packed calendars secretly seek a moment of calm; just look at the goal of retirement. Rest and relaxation oftentimes turns into a frenzy in a society where every minute is documented for a post, reel, or story on someone's timeline. Being addicted to busyness looks like burnout, fear of missing out, or anxiety while sitting still. It breeds overthinking, impatience, and restlessness. While productivity is a good thing, it shouldn’t come at the expense of tranquility.
Busyness doesn’t take into account one’s humanity, neither do many cultures. The reality of the matter is that the physical body isn't built to be on “go” mode 24/7. While the mind can come up with ventures and new ideas at a lightning fast speed, the human body is not equipped to function at the same rate. With that being said, the mind also requires a level of rest. Like our bodies, the mind isn't designed for overstimulation or to stay at high levels of attention - energy.
Sleep is not only a gift, but the acknowledgement that we are human. And there is beauty and intentionality in that. One way to combat busyness and ultimately embrace rest (and ease) is recognizing that there is an issue. Do you find yourself anxious while resting? Is it difficult to settle your thoughts? Are you afraid things won’t go well if you take a moment away or delegate tasks to others? If so, you may very well be unhealthily dependent on constantly exerting high amounts of energy.
Once acknowledgment is made, it is important to discover activities that require less energy; rest can be seen as being on low power mode. It’s not necessarily sitting still and doing nothing. Yes, it involves sleep but there is a difference between sleep and rest and if the only time you relax is when you sleep, you’ll never truly smell the roses and see how far you have come.
Make it a habit to engage in low power mode activities like reading, listening to soothing music, or sitting in nature. Just as phones require charging, we need to be plugged into a power source too. And that’s the importance of slowing down, it gives us a boost for the moments to come. Peace is truly our default system but most misconstrue it as boredom. Making peace a part of your daily routine does wonders for the soul and body and even creativity. It begets clarity and reconnects you to the inner being versus being tugged about by the external world.
Life Work
Set aside at least 5 minutes per day for the next three days to reflect on your activity.
Ask the following questions:
Do I feel uncomfortable or guilty while resting?
What are some unnecessary activities I partake in that can be used for rest or low power mode activities?
Is there a fear of missing out that causes me to engage in activity I don't particularly enjoy or not physically able to do at the time?
Am I able to identify peace in my life and daily living?
Be transparent and honest with yourself as well as being open to hearing/gaining new insight.
Remember to journal your experience.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.