“I’ll sleep when I’m dead”
Ever felt that way?
I know I have and have felt it necessary to place unnecessary pressure on myself in exchange for much needed rest.
But can I be brutally honest for a second?
That type thinking is just..Stupid.
Now..full disclosure: I am 100% supportive of female empowerment and the concept of “goal-getting”. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing women support one another all while smashing ceilings, kicking down stereotypes, and chasing dreams.
Anthems have literally been written encouraging women to “Get to the bag” and to “Slay” all their goals while serving in multiple roles of mothers, wife, partners, etc. The message to our daughters is “Dream it, Work Hard, And Grind til you own it.”
I too share those same sentiments and want my daughter to know that the sky is the only limit.
But if I’m honest that type of confidence and drive at times does make me slightly nervous. Not that ambition should be contained or to place limits on one’s dream. But rather the discernment that is needed to both achieve goals and the ability to listen to yourself when it is telling you to…
R.E.S.T
We live in a world where we convince ourselves and our future that “She believed she could so she did”. There is nothing wrong with that message.
But the caveat I think we miss it that “She believed she could…and took the proper steps to ensure she was good and then “Did“. Because unfortunately we live in a world where we have to actually normalize the need for rest. And rest not being power naps, spa days, and 3 day weekends. But real life “Time Outs” the second you feel like you have nothing left to give.
There is quote that I absolutely love that says:
“You cannot give what you do not have”.
Let’s face it. A car on empty doesn’t have the ability to go far.
And guess what? Neither do you sis.
So why is it that we as women often find rest as a luxury versus a necessary way to function? Especially we as mothers. We “give” so our children can have is what we tell ourselves. But what are we really giving our children if we are struggling?
Believe me. I’m preaching to the choir. The calendar loving/coffee addicted, overachieving, Type A Busy-Body in me has a hard enough time committing to a bed time let alone scheduled rest. But as someone who has experienced burn out first hand and have witnessed it in others, I’ve learn to listen to myself more.
Check out these signs that it may be time to take a Step Back and Press Pause ASAP:
You Are Easily Offended and Irritated: Have you been all in your feels lately? Or do you often feel you have to stay on the defense? For me when I realize I’m hyper-sensitive, something is usually off and out of alignment in my life. Stress and anxiety are fatiguing and impact you thinking rationally. So try and “check” your offense first rather than “checking” somebody. Think it through before making someone a casualty of your issue.
You Are Having a Hard Time Focusing: A tell-tale sign that you are doing too much is when you can’t get much done. Execution requires commitment. So if you are struggling with getting through your to do list, evaluate the list and make sure you have the energy realistically accomplish all that needs to be done.
Everything Seems Like A lot: From the laundry, to taking out the dog, to grocery shopping. You cannot seem to muster the energy to just complete the most basic things. If you have too much in your plate to the point you are neglecting yourself and others, then it’s time to take a look at the plate and slide some things off.
You Just Know You Need a Break: It’s really important to know yourself. And so when you when feel yourself spiraling, it’s even more important to know when to reel yourself back in. Don’t add to your plate or overcommit any further. Establish some iron-clad boundaries, re-claim your time, and get you some rest!