Oh, how I just love this word so….rest. Like the sound of a sail boat, rhythmically stretching over glistening waves, quietly, tranquilly, hypnotically – to a destination evoked by nothing pressing, only presence. REST. Oh how I just love this word so!
OK, there was my minute of trying to be a poet – with the sound of my husband talking out loud as he measures every ingredient, not just metrically, but verbally, out loud as I try to write this post. He is going to work in a few hours however and I will, just like that sailboat, stretch out quietly, tranquilly, and hypnotically with no talking, just silence and presence. Hubby if you read this, you know I love you!
Now, let’s talk about rest. Rest is not just a fluffy thought, or thing to long for when you are tired or in need of absolutely nothing to do, it’s actually imperative that you get enough of it and self-imposed rest might just be the first place to start.
In my book Fire Wife I retold a story about author Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, who worked her buns off, like work-a-holics do, only to find herself so exhausted, she fainted and fell, shattering her cheek bone. That was a huge wake up call for her and she would go on to write a book called, The Sleep Revolution to try and get her point across to people as to why Rest and Sleep are vital to your vitals!
Resting my friend replenishes your mental, emotional and physical states too. I mean anyone who has been exhausted, or who has been sleep deprived from having a baby, knows that fragility and lack of sleep go hand in hand.
The same advice of course goes to our Firefighters who with shift work and dealing with trauma all day, need their sleep so they can go from feeling and acting like a zombie back into a human being again.
Carve out time for rest. I used to take a rest late in the afternoon when my kids were young. I put on a movie, got them their favorite drinks and would lay on the couch to get my second wind before making dinner. When I was pregnant years ago, I perfected the art of cat naps at the office- which really does work if you’ve not tried it! Just 10-15 minutes will bring you back to life feeling bright eyed and peacock tailed!
So my friends, I’d love it, if you haven’t already, get serious about rest. If your schedule is overwhelming and it doesn’t allow for you to take some time out to care for your mind, body and spirit in this way, read up on the importance of rest and all of it’s benefits – including being super alert and creative! So there you go. That is step 2 of our R-Therapy! Now get to bed! XOXO
Written by : Tara McIntosh
