Finding Rest in the Busy Season
I don’t function at optimum efficiency when I am overwhelmed, stressed, and over tired. It’s just how I function. And I could probably bet that you’re the same way. Humans are invincible, even though we seem to think we are. We need time to rest, reset, and rejuvenate our bodies.
When we try to work from a place of fatigue or exhaustion, we don’t produce our best work and we might even snap at our loved ones (#guilty).
I have found that when I try to power through my exhaustion, I don’t end up actually getting any work done and it ends up being a waste of time.
I’ve never been good at resting, but I’ve recently learned (especially since having a baby), that resting makes me a better business owner, and more importantly, a better wife and mom. I mean, the God of the Universe (if there’s anyone who’d be invincible, it would be him) even rested. I guess I should probably get the hint and learn that rest is important and vital.
There are seasons where rest is easy to come by. It’s built into the day. The weather seems to promote it. And the work tasks seem to allow for it.
But then there are busy seasons.
When life gets busy, it can be easy to let go of rest. We don’t make it a priority.
But friends, we must. We must build rest into our busy seasons.
Today let’s discuss four simple ways to implement rest into your busy season:
Set timers and schedule it in: whenever I have a lot of tasks to accomplish, but still want to find time to relax, I set timers. Every night Knox goes to bed about three hours before we go to bed. So once he is down, I will set timers for certain things I want to get done. For example, I will fold laundry for 10 minutes, and clean the kitchen for 20, work for 45, then I will read for 30. These timers give me deadlines to finish the tasks I want to get done, but then I always schedule in some sort of break or rest. You could schedule in 15 minute breaks throughout your workday and treat them like a client meeting. You wouldn’t miss it or be late.
Set office hours: I work about 15 hours a week. That’s it. But, I am producing just as much work as I was when I had no time limit for hours worked. The urgency of being productive during nap time helps me focus on what’s really important and stay on task. If you don’t have a time you’re going to end work, you’ll keep working and there’s no urgency to finish. Set a time you HAVE to be done with work each day so that you work harder AND have the rest of the evening to rest.
Take a day off once per month: last week I was completely depleted. I get up early to work, then I am in full mom mode, then I hustle my booty off during nap times, and then it’s mom/wife mode. I rarely get a break and it catches up to me. For this reason, I decided to take the day off from work. Instead of working during nap time, I would watch a TV show or read, or just sit. I felt guilty at first. But then I realized that this exercise was rejuvenating me so that the next work day I would be focused and ready to do. Take it from my experience, it worked. You have the blessing of running your own business, sometimes it’s okay to take advantage of that.
Get outside (or do an activity that feeds your soul): whenever I am feeling exhausted, getting outside fuels me more than a nap (typically). So, I make sure we go on walks every day and I give high priority to this--even on busy days. Some people don’t understand, but this routine is so important for me to stay energized and happy.
How do you take time for rest? I hope this is an encouragement to you and helps you recognize the importance of rest for your well being, but also your business!