It’s Spring. Are You Feeling Recharged and Invigorated?

Or do you go to bed exhausted and wake exhausted? We are not meant to live that way.  The sacredness of rest is part of our spiritual DNA. Did you know that resting and sleeping are not the same thing?

In our modern hurry up and move world, many are obsessively overworked, overcommitted, overextended, and overspent. Too often, one day, one season bleeds over into another. 

We have forgotten that our families and ancestors had traditions to mark the passage of time and change of seasons.  Not because they didn’t have a device that could instantly tell them what day and time it was; but because they understood that those markers keep us in touch with ourselves and our communities.

Spring is a time for Lent, Easter, Passover, Ramadan, Nowruz, Holi and more. Each tradition is different; but each has a component of rest and renewal.

Rest and renewal not only keep us healthier; they make us more productive. Why? Because we have taken the time to reflect on what is important and essential, which allows us to remove thoughts, actions and activities that keep us perpetually busy, but that do not positively contribute to our lives and our communities.

In her book, “Even God Rested Why It’s Okay for Women to Slow Down”, Kim Thomas says we need 3 types of rest: emotional, physical and spiritual. We need emotional rest from stress, noise, negativity, numbness, and anger. We need physical rest from busyness, hurrying, overconsuming, and crowds. We need spiritual rest from fear, hard-heartedness, the need to know everything, and anxiety.

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith says we need 7 types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. She discusses them in her book: “Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity”. Or, for a quick overview, check out this TED talk: The real reason why we are tired and what to do about it | Saundra Dalton-Smith | TEDxAtlanta

Be proactive. Learn what rest is and what it isn’t.  When you are filling out your To Do List for the day, week, month and year. Make sure you schedule rest activities and place them on your calendar.

Want more or different resources? Always remember that I am happy to connect you with resources that can help your business or make your life a wee bit easier.