Today it's (mental) health day, start by celebrating the art of de-compression
I thought it was very important to celebrate (mental) health day, and I will do it by writing a short post.
Yes, short, because this is one act of self care.
The post and its brevity are aimed at bringing your attention to the value of resting and balancing, which includes the permission one gives themselves to not do. To do less.
Yes, to do less also of what you love, what excites you, what brings satisfaction, what is good for you. Does this make sense? It should.
So today, and tomorrow too, please bring your focus to developing awareness of the importance of not doing, and not only to do differently. Focus on your ability to acknowledge when and what is too much, and take good care of the emotions that will arise when you'll give up control for some time.
A student should have empty slots on their diaries, and as adults we have the wonderful opportunity to teach youths they can rest, to legitimate it, communicating and modeling there's no need to always feel anxious, no need for FOMO etc. There's a strong need, instead, to learn to listen to our bodies and how to decompress.
"When you allow yourself time to do nothing, you give your brain a chance to process experiences, consolidate memories, and reinforce learning. Your resting state is a powerful tool for regulating your emotions and maintaining the ability to focus. Rest will also help you make better decisions and be more productive".
So yeah, there is kind of a contradiction in allowing ourselves to not do in an attempt to control being more productive, but you are human, and I expect you (and me too) to think this way. #Mindfulness helps us to practice this wise approach through the principle of not striving.
You can read something here if you wish to explore further, but I'd encourage you to do it another day, and to just not do anything for some time to celebrate (mental) health day :)