As another weekend draws near I wanted to write a short piece on rest. Rest is a funny old word in a world that glorifies our busy, fast paced, quick fix, ‘get it now’ culture.
I’ve spent the last five weeks touring the UK, Ireland and Australia doing music and raising awareness of www.thelilyjoproject.com which works out I’ve travelled a whopping 24,000 miles! Yet I’ve come home this week, as normal, a little annoyed at myself for not being more productive, and not getting back to that person, and not feeling like the energy to take my kids out. Why do I do that to myself? Why do we do that to ourselves? Beat ourselves up and say to ourselves things that we would never dream of saying to someone else. For me it’s a constant push and pull. I know I need to rest but I don’t like stopping. I know it’s what my body needs, but my mind fights it so hard.
I’ve come up with an acronym for REST to help you and myself. I hope its beneficial whenever you get your next moments of respite, whether it be this weekend or sometime soon, hopefully you will be able to prioritise some time for yourself to unwind and relax.
Relaxation
Exercise
Sleep time
Time for you
Relaxation: Find out what you like to do to relax. My favourite relaxation pastimes are taking a long bath, going out for a meal, getting my hair or nails done, having a massage.
Exercise: Taking a short or long stroll, I love going out for a walk with my kids or my dog! It doesn’t have to be long but that burst of fresh air and vitamin D does wonders for the soul. Another favourite relaxation tip is a swim in the local pool and then take a dip in the jacuzzi and if they have one, a chill in the steam room! So lush! I can imagine it now!!!
Sleep: Get to bed! Create a sleep environment that is comfortable for you. Don’t stay up late watching films. Try and figure out what your optimum amount of sleep hours is. When I’m not sleep deprived, about seven and a half hours is enough for me. Any more after that makes me feel more tired, and groggy. If you have children that wake in the night can you take it in turns with your partner? If you are single parenting, can you get some respite from friends or family? An organisation that could help is called SAFE families for children. They can help with respite care. For more on sleep and how it can affect your mental health click here.
Time for you: What do you like doing most when it’s just you? Maybe reading a book, watching a movie, seeing a friend. It’s so good to know what makes you tick. As a mum of two I feel that I’ve had to reestablish and find those things out again, because any spare time I used to have, I was too exhausted to enjoy anything. I just wanted to catch up on sleep!!! Now my children are getting older it’s been lovely finding new things I like to do and remembering the things I used to enjoy and doing them again.
So I write this post from the comfort of my sofa and say – have a great weekend, enjoy rest, and I’m sending lots of love from my jet lagged heart!
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With love
Lily-Jo x
