Importance of Rest

One of the things I learned in the Managing Your Energy class I took
over a month ago was the importance of resting and recovering. The
teacher mentioned how the difference between good athletes and top-notch
athletes was not how well they played the sport but how quickly they
recovered. How much time they needed to rest.

I’ve always been a Type A. I don’t do that well with resting and
relaxing. I don’t often stop and smell the flowers. I think sleep is
over rated. I believe in go-go-go. So much so that when my friends first
heard I was moving to San Diego (five years ago), they thought I might
go insane and want to come back to New York immediately.

They weren’t totally wrong.

But San Diego did wonders for my state of mind. It taught me to relax.
It showed me the joys of nature and photography and then, of course,
David came. And then I came to Google and life went right back to
go-go-go, busy-busy-busy, and now-now-now. Until I took the class.

In the last month, I’ve been practicing being relaxed. Resting. Doing
nothing and not feeling bad about it. Giving myself permission to lie in
bed a few more minutes. To let go of that to-do list item. To not reply
to that email. To sleep a full eight hours. I feel much better. I still
get a lot done and I forgive myself for the rest.

And amazingly, the world doesn’t seem to come to an end.