This is a NEED …

Here we are … It’s the busy holiday season!

Shopping, decorating, visiting, baking, hosting, cooking, creating, traveling, planning and celebrating can wear us plum out! We require a lot of ourselves above and beyond the norm in this season! Not only do our families have expectations, but often our own expectations drive us to accomplish, strive and push! It doesn’t seem to matter if our expectations are unreasonable. We feel compelled to perform.

I am trying to loosen expectations on myself and others. It’s difficult, but it is worthwhile. This quote struck me a few weeks ago when it showed up on my social media feed …

“Rest is not a reward for hard work; it is a necessity for optimal performance.”

(Sorry, I don’t know who attribute it to.)

There it is …. One of our biggest problems.

Most of us think rest is a reward of accomplishing, working ourselves ragged, or performing above and beyond.

IT IS NOT!

Rest is not the reward for a hard day’s work!

It is an essential core NEED for our bodies, spirits and minds to function optimally!

I mean NEED, NOT WANT! Our bodies were created for rest. I don’t mean just sleep either! Yes, that is necessary. The latest studies say 8-10 hours of sleep at night is optimal. Beyond that, our bodies tire during the day and need stopping points, rest, refueling to keep performing. Many of us have cemented in our minds that stopping and resting equates to laziness. That is a false belief! We have a recharge switch built into us. A time and point where we get weary and need to refuel.

Unfortunately, many of us have learned to ignore the cues, especially during this season. I honestly have pushed myself to the point of getting sick! Ashamed to say, many times! Our bodies will break down if we don’t get enough rest.

I’ve had to reengage listening to my body cues. Weariness, sleepiness, headache, hunger, irritability, anxiety, overloaded thoughts, etc. I hope you can add your own! Our body has built-in mechanisms to signal us, but we have to listen and respond accordingly to those signals. “Listen to your body” is a healthy mantra.

I hope you know when I say body, I am also referring to your mind and spirit. They need rest too. When you rest your body, you also nourish your spirit and mind: you can take extra steps to nurture them.

Our brains hold a vast amount of information requiring a lot of processing. This time of year it holds multiples of info plus all the relational pulls and struggles the season brings. Give it a rest! Read a book, watch a movie, make a list and defrag it. Don’t expect it to keep up without rest and intentional realistic expectations!

We can nourish our spirits with stillness, reflections, inspirational nutrients, seasonal memories and favorites. I love listening to Christmas music. I am listening to it right now as I write this. Better yet, if your TV has YouTube, there are a plethora of Christmas backgrounds with music. I’m watching a roaring fire with snow falling and music twinkling in the background. It nourishes me. Of course, my brain sings the words to the much loved songs evoking a lifetime of Christmas moments. I hope you have learned how to nourish your soul. If not, think about it and start practicing it.

Another way I nourish my soul in this busy time is having an advent devotional. Carving out a few minutes a day to read, ponder, wonder, process pieces of the season within myself is also a refreshing inspirational practice of mine. For me, a large part of feeding my soul is connecting with God.

Here’s my quote from experience:

If you’re too busy to ponder the season … you, my friend, are too busy!

Your soul needs tending and nourishing.

Rest and balance go hand in hand. Find a better balance, so you can function optimally.

I have found the holidays are so much sweeter and richer when I rest and nourish all the parts of me. Even if, you lower your expectations and your physical output appears diminished. Appearances and expectations will rob us of a meaningful and healthy season. Don’t allow it! Your body, mind and spirit may rebel or turn on you if you don’t. Know your limitations and accept them as your best!

As my kids say, “You do you, Mom!”

Don’t let past performances dictate today! You need to know your body’s requirements and live accordingly to experience the fullness of the season!!

Here are a few advent devotionals if you’d like suggestions …