The importance of resting

This is the last day of mental health awareness month, and I wanted to take this chance to talk about how I took time for my wellness and why I did that.

This past month has been hectic with exams, finishing university and working on projects, and when all of that was over, I took the last ten/eleven days of this month to rest. What do I mean by resting? Resting and sleeping are two different things, in my opinion. Sleeping, to me, is when your body is exhausted, and you lie down to regain energy. Resting is when your mind is exhausted, and you relax, slow down and pause to regain mental energy. For the last eleven days, I've been doing both, and I began to discover the power and importance of resting, especially after a busy period.

Resting allows for growth, perspective, peace and reflection. It allowed me to check if I am aligned with my purpose; if not, I used that time to realign, take time for myself, focus on my health and mental well-being, do things I enjoy, and check up on others. To use the time of rest to be still and not get taken away by the rush in which life is, and make sure I am taking things at my own pace and not get sucked in and consumed by the matrix feeding into whatever society/ social media tells me I need to do. I don't always have to be on the go all the time. The power of resting lies in the control I have in the ability to govern my time and how it is being used and to not let anyone take that away from me. To know when to stop, take a break, and find time to switch off during the day. Everything in this life has to have a balance, time and season, and it is vital to know how to discern when and then take the opportunity.

There have been times when I experienced burnout due to the intensity of life when there was so much going on that I was not sleeping or resting. I kept feeling added pressure to do and do and do until I just broke down. And breaking down was a relief for me as I needed to let it all out and release it. Still, it made me realise it is essential to take care of my mental well-being, to make sure I am sleeping, eating and getting my mind right and also the ability to say no to the others who may require even the most minor thing from me. As for me, that was what put me over the edge. I believe in the saying; you cannot pour from an empty cup. To be able to serve and give to others, I need to help myself and work on myself first and it also just contributes to my overall happiness and wellness.

It is not selfish to take time to listen to the mind to rest and rejuvenate. Therefore, moving forward anything I want to do and pursue, I will do it well, with the right mentality.

Anu Aborisade