I’ll be the first to admit, rest makes me feel restless. I want to go, go, go. Slowing down isn’t really my thing. I’d rather be tackling a to-do list than sitting quietly in meditation. Rest makes me feel anxious and unproductive.

 

Why is it that we feel so guilty about resting? We’re happy to unconsciously drive ourselves to the point of becoming ill, but setting aside an hour or two in our day to switch off and go within – that feels self-indulgent (particularly when there are responsibilities to take care of). But if we don’t take care of ourselves – that to-list is never going to get any shorter because we’ll be focusing on restoring our health and well-being instead.

 

Over the past few years, I’ve been investing in small steps to take care of myself before it becomes too late to reverse it. Some of the ways include;

I avoid replying to messages after 10pm - I’m conscious of the people in my life having time to themselves before the end of their day where no one is asking anything of them.
On the weekend, I put on a face mask or some cooling eye gels – this takes 10 minutes. So simple!
I step away from my social media when it’s not making me feel good. (I unfollow the accounts that contribute to this – an absolute game-changer for your mental health).
I plan my meals and my workouts a week ahead.
I stick to a regular bedtime and set my phone to Do Not Disturb mode automatically at 10:30pm.

 Don’t forget to take time to focus on what YOU need, no questions asked.

You need your own love as much as anyone else in your life.