Fatigue, Stress And Learning To Rest

I am a focused, high-energy person.  My mental wheels are constantly spinning and my feet never seems to slow down sometimes.  When I’ve been operating on overdrive for too long, a few things happen.  I start noticing some signs of fatigue that I simply can’t kick.  Foggy brain, irritability, finding faults in others, blowing issues out of proportion, feeling emotional over trivial things.

Sometimes we need to be willing to say yes to the weariness in our bones.  You need to give yourself permission to rest and put your feet up.  It’s one of the biggest acts of surrender, trust and self love you can take.

Your body does not lie.  When you notice signs of stress or fatigue, don’t try and muscle your way through it like it will somehow pass.  From my experience, as you learn to listen to the signs, you’ll see they are invitations.  These invitations beckon you to treat yourself with more love, compassion and gentleness.

Sometimes it feels like I’m tearing myself away from “everything that still needs doing” when I decide to put my feet up or close my eyes.  That is actually what’s happening.  When you make a decision to honor your needs and give yourself a break, you are cutting yourself off from all other possibilities.  That’s the definition of decision.

Resting is all about stopping doing and concentrating on being.  The more you practice resting when you need to, the less guilty you’ll feel about it.  Most people are so overworked in their everyday lives that they aren’t aware of how stressed or tired they really are.  They go about accomplishing massive lists of to-do’s until they finally find themselves with a moment of silence…and realize how exhausted they really are.

The trick is to remind yourself that you will never get it all done.  You’ll never be in a place where all that you desire is being satisfied, right now.  That’s ok!  Actually, that’s perfectly normal and you are in the right place at the right time in that ‘incomplete’ feeling.  You’re on track.  What have you got to lose by taking a beach day, taking a walk or grabbing a coffee with a friend?  I dare you to give yourself permission!