As we enter into the last month of 2022 I, like a lot of us, enter into the space of reflecting on how I have lived this year. And a recurring thought from the past two months that has finally been cemented in my mind is the idea of scheduling rest, and being intentional about incorporating it into my schedule.
Prioritizing Filling Your Cup: Replenishing your Energy Reserves with Rest
Travel is really important to me, it is a clear priority I have for my well-being. Nothing brings me more joy and satisfaction than travelling, so it is the first thing that I plan when I am planning my year. This year was no different, except because I started the year with the intention to lay the foundation of my art business I decided to ‘hustle’ the entire year and then reward myself by taking the entire month of December off and travelling.
I have identified two mistakes that I made with that plan. One was that despite knowing how nourishing travel is for me, I planned 11 months of my year without it. And the second flaw with my yearly plan was just that, the rest was planned yearly.
What has become blindingly clear to me now is that rest, like an important appointment, needs to be scheduled. And it needs to be incorporated not just into my yearly schedule, but also into my daily, weekly, and monthly schedule.
You should be your biggest priority. Everything is stemming from you, you are the source of everything that is being created in your life. And therefore you must recharge and fill your energy reserves on an ongoing basis, not as an afterthought. Self-care should be a non-negotiable, and it is deeply intertwined with rest in a synergistic relationship.
Ideas for Rest
So as I am getting ready to plan my next year, I have been thinking about what rest can look like for me on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Daily Rest
I tried to think of a simple act I can sustain daily to experience rest. I love sunsets but don’t experience them as often as I’d like to. I also have a habit of drinking tea every evening. So I am thinking of stacking these two things together and watching the sunset from my terrace every day while sipping tea, the idea is to be fully present in the experience of the present moment.
Weekly Rest
I have a very clear idea of what I want my weekly rest to look like. I intend to have boundaries around my work hours and get intentional about spending time with myself and my loved ones. I tried to implement this for a couple of months this year and saw the difference it made in the 70% of the time I successfully implemented it. So I want to carry it into the new year.
Monthly Rest
I envision my monthly rest to look like sitting in a pretty cafe for a coffee date with myself to journal on the wins of that month. I love exploring the different cafes in my city and experiencing a new pretty space. So I thought of combining my love of coffee and pretty spaces and adding a dash of gratitude to the mix.
Yearly Rest
Throughout the year I will honour the thing that fills my cup by truly making travel a priority. I intend to take quarterly trips, small or long, budget or lavish- depending on what is the best decision in the circumstances.
As I am writing this blog post it just occurred to me, is rest an active act of simply being present in the moment? I’ll leave you with that thought and the aforementioned ideas for rest as you start to plan your next year.