By Elizabeth Girardy
A few weeks ago, I started being intentional about resting. It came out of a realization I had about the difference between being distracted and resting and it has cut down on my desire to procrastinate.
It all started with an opportunity I had to reflect on my spiritual practices. I considered what was going well and what wasn’t. An area of growth that I identified was that I needed to stop seeking out distractions. I realized that I was dealing with a lot of the discomfort in my life by trying to escape from it (mostly with my phone) rather than confront it. After that realization, I put some limits on which apps I was using and when I could have my phone on me. Very quickly my practice led to discomfort in that I couldn’t take a break from my feelings. I also didn’t have an easy way to procrastinate on work or tasks that needed to be done.
What does that have to do with rest? Out of eliminating my distractions, I identified the desire for real rest as distinct from taking a break from my feelings. In other words, I wanted rest that wasn’t procrastination.
Since I was doing so well with the first practice (limiting phone distractions), I decided to add another one. I committed to finishing all of my work before Sunday so that it could be a real day of rest. Any emails I had to send, errands to run, Fellows’ homework to finish, I would get it all done before Sunday. Then, to add to my commitment to rest, I decided to not do work that I would label fun or creative either. The general rule was that anything that put the burden of productivity on me wouldn’t exist for that day.
The first Sunday that I did this, I realized that it was challenging not to be productive. Being still brought up its own set of uncomfortable emotions. But because it was a day where there was nothing going on, I could make space for those emotions. It wasn’t like they were going to throw off work I needed to do. Also, in making space, I was able to emotionally recover from the week. After I got over feeling like I needed to be busy, not having demands on my time felt freeing.
Since I’ve started this practice, I’ve seen a few changes in myself. I’ve been able to resist procrastination during the week, because there is an end in sight. I’ve also had time to process my thoughts and feelings. That has been critical because I’m trying to figure out what is next for me after the Fellows program. I’ve also been able to generate the energy that I need to start my week well.
I wrote about this because now that I’m thinking about my transition out of the Fellows program, I’ve been considering what I want to carry over. I don’t know what my new routine will look like, but protected time to rest on Sunday will be a priority. I’ve appreciated the space that it has given me to reflect and re-orient myself.