It’s Ok to Rest!
Coming off a season of heaviness I feel weak and my body is weighted. I lack energy to do regular, easy things such as laundry or a grocery run. This feels hard and yet we do have food in our pantry and we have clothes that are clean. We are not struggling to solve those that appear to be problems but perhaps are not. The schedule may be off a bit but this isn’t truly a burden.
As I age, I turned 62 last week, my body needs attention. It doesn’t bounce back as quickly.
It can’t digest food like it used to. I feel sluggish more frequently when sleep is deprived or I’m doing more than I’m equipped for. My stamina for cleaning and chores isn’t what it used to be.
This is a natural state of being.
My younger self would say get up and go to the gym, do something productive, why are you lazy? You’ll get behind.
And then my food voice…are you eating healthily, balancing your intake, taking your vitamins and supplements?
My need for control or finding the problem to solve moves in too.
But it that the truth? Is this weariness explainable? or am I doing something wrong again?
Maybe taking a longer nap than usual,
Maybe spending more time in my prayer chair,
Maybe shortening my to do list or my exercise routine is exactly what my body needs.
Maybe a body check is the best way
Taking productive breaths
Self-care
Quiet time
Adjusting the to do list not to add more pressure, or more guilt but to decide what is really priority and what isn’t truly necessary anymore or perhaps never was. Maybe something good for me turned to routine and is now in need of reevaluating.
As we grow older the way we choose to live reveals what we feel is truly important. How we spend time will make a difference. Do we power through for results or do we ponder the best yes.
Lately I’ve been hearing some disturbing stories that may give evidence to how exercise and diet and no time for sleep can work against the good. Most of us know the struggle in the weight category, binge dieting and unhealthy fasting have led some to eating disorders. The medical surgery business is booming due to injuries and wear and tear on our bodies. Recently I heard from an educator that moms were picking their children up from carpool in their tennis skirts with alcohol on their breath. Young adults are dying due to lack of care and concern for their health, working to push through phenomena can result in death.
The body is an incredibly powerful machine, but it has its limits.
We hold the answers as to what the body needs inside.
We must name them. No one can do this for us.
It is our responsibility
If we stay on the high power to-do list train
If we push our body to work harder when it is in need of rest
When we continue to eat and drink food that doesn’t give nourishment but leads to an out of balance way of living
When we choose to isolate rather than deal with problems and situations of others
We are clogging up the freedom of love.
Love for ourselves and love for others.
Those choices are the difference between a better tomorrow and a tomorrow of recovery.
Guilt and regret are a complete waste of time and energy and we don’t have time for that.
We do have time to choose for today what would be good for your tomorrow.
It doesn’t have to be big, or it can be big, it just needs to be something.
What can I do today that will be helpful to myself tomorrow?
What does your body say?
What does your mind say?
Where can you start?
Do it!
As the sign in the bathroom says, “I want to enter heaven yelling whoohoo! That was quite a ride!”
Stay Blessed ya’all!