Since I started working from home I’ve had to be more intentional about ways to rest. Coming home used to be my signal to rest and restore. But what do you do when you’re always at home? The typical transitions of commuting, or days punctuated by meetings and walks to the coffee shop are no longer there. With the pandemic, travel and spa treatments (my other ways to rejuvenate) aren’t options either. So what’s a girl to do?
Read
I spend the first hour of every morning with a cup of coffee and a book. It’s such a nice, quiet way to start the day and means I get a chance to read a book or two a week. I used to fall asleep when I would try and read at the end of the day and so starting the morning (with a cup of coffee no less!) means I stay awake and get to enjoy reading again. If you’re looking for a book to read, check out A Cozy Bookshop! I post the books I enjoy as I read them.
Nap
I will never stop talking about the power of napping. Whether it’s a weekend afternoon, or a 20-minute power nap in the car, I’ve done them all. Everyone who knows me well knows that I peel off in the afternoons to close my eyes, regroup and freshen up. It makes the evenings so much more enjoyable and allows me to reset and catch my breath for the second half of the day.
Stop
No one is going to set boundaries for us, and if they do it’s likely going to be a boundary we don’t like. I choose a stopping point in the evening. I stop working, I stop planning, I stop checking my e-mail and social media. I stop worrying, I stop rehashing the day, I just stop. I take a shower, put on pajamas, turn down our bed and turn the lights on so it’s a welcoming space for us when we’re ready to go to bed. And then I settle in on the couches with Stephen and the dogs and we watch an episode or two of a show.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the speed of the day and other people’s agendas. It’s so easy to ruminate on issues we’re facing and to be in non-stop worry mode over the problems we face both individually and collectively. And if any of that helped, I would say keep doing it. But it only helps to keep us exhausted and hopeless.
Thoughtful, measured action helps. Perspective helps. Compassion for ourselves and others helps. And we can’t get to those places when we’re exhausted. Rest helps. We get to be rejuvenated and restored even when something is exhausting us. We get to feel peace and joy in the middle of all of the other tough feelings. But we’ve got to make the space for it.