Rest is not a waste of time
I’ve been really busy the past few days that I barely had time to gather my thoughts. So today, I decided to treat myself to a nice cup of latte at a cozy coffee shop, the air thick with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, their varying acidities and flavors forming a delicious aroma. And I’m drinking in the rise and fall of strangers’ voices around me, the lilt of their laughter, the whirring of the coffee grinder in the background.
Rest is necessary, and you should not feel guilty for needing some time away from your art, or your work.
Of course, always easier said than done. I’m a self-taught artist who runs this as a full-time business. Therefore, I constantly struggle with the mere idea of resting or taking a break. Don’t get me wrong, I really love what I do. If you’re an artist or entrepreneur too, the creative journey can be both exhilarating and exciting, yet it also comes with its own challenges.
Creativity comes from deep within us, and that’s why many artists and creators feel immense pressure to constantly create, produce and do a million other things to keep the business alive (logistics, admin, marketing, etc). We wear so many different hats, but we only have one head to balance them on.
I always want to take a break, but my mind feeds me so much guilt that I can’t even take a break without catching a break from myself. Can you relate too?
So I’m writing this for someone out there who needs a gentle reminder that it’s okay to take a break, especially an unplanned one. I’m writing this for the person whose mind constantly feels like a four-way intersection, with all trains of thoughts trying to go at the same time. Maybe I’m writing this for myself too.
It’s okay to slow down and give yourself some space to breathe.
Maybe this week has been hectic enough. Maybe there are so many demands coming at you from every angle. Maybe you’re feeling weary and burdened by the pressure of needing to have everything go according to plan. Or maybe you’re burning out because of the enormous expectations you’ve placed upon yourself.
Rest doesn’t necessarily have to be a one-week vacation at the beach (although this is not a bad idea). Rest can be whatever you need it to be, today.
It can be a hot cup of coffee at your desk.
It can be a short walk in the backyard, just you and your thoughts.
It can be a few chapters of a good book.
It can be an honest conversation with a friend, where you feel instantly recharged.
Or it can be doing absolutely nothing at all. When you’re used to doing so many things at once, you become so accustomed to the loud hum of productivity that silence or stillness can suddenly seem defeaning, even awkward. And when presented with the opportunity to rest… you grapple with the anxiety of wasting time, the fear that you should be doing more.
Just know that you are not wasting time for needing time to recharge. Rest helps you to hit the reset button on things so you can come back to the routine with a new mindset, a fresh motivation.
So if you’re learning to pace yourself in this busy world, there will always be a million important things that are screaming for your time and attention. But don’t forget to make room for yourself. Give yourself the space and grace to unplug even if just for a while, and focus on something else beyond the business, beyond the work, beyond the creative process.
You are important too. :)