“Rest when you need to. Beast mode the rest of the time.” Gymquotes.co

Happy Monday! 

I hope you had a lovely weekend! It’s been unseasonably cold in beautiful SoCA. Although we’re accustomed to June Gloom, it feels more like the middle of winter. Frankly, I’m not complaining. I like it this way and am not looking forward to when summer kicks in. I love the warm sunny days, as long as I’m inside in an air-conditioned room!

I spent this past week home nursing a respiratory infection. I rarely get sick. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s been something like 20+ years since I was down for an entire week. I know the culprit that made it possible, though, and I am almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve been in Beast Mode for months.

I work hard and derive so much joy and validation from what I do. The problem is that I hate to admit when I need to rest. (Maybe that’s why I’m such an advocate for self-care and rest!) I had a boss tell me once, Physician, heal thyself, jokingly, but he was right. I need to learn to practice what I preach! So the moral to the story is this:

Photo by Nathan Dumlao. No copyright infringement intended.

Here’s the thing. It’s great to be in Beast Mode. We get things done by powering through the administrative stuff. We can even manage the more sensitive issues by staying on top of our game and pushing through the chatter in our minds. But is it a good practice when we’re feeling tired or depleted?

My experience tells me not so much. It’s counterproductive when we pressure ourselves relentlessly to keep going and persevere when our mind, soul, and body need rest. We become less likely to see the subtleties of our work or those with whom we interact, and we tend to be less empathetic to others’ needs. A fact that can be pretty problematic when our job is in the helping professions.

The worst-case scenario happened to me last week. I was rendered incapable of managing my day-to-day with any professionalism. I had to cancel some clients at the last minute, which pains me at best. I was forced to stop everything because I hadn’t enough reserves in me to even make an appearance at the events that bring me pleasure. The illness literally took me out of the game.

I didn’t listen to the warning signs to slow down a bit when I began to feel more tired than usual. I didn’t heed the warnings of my deteriorating mood. And I didn’t ask for help when it would have been the most logical choice. I chose to remain in Beast Mode when there wasn’t enough of the Beast in me to be effective – on any level. Not good choices on my part.

Alan Cohen, a New York Times best-selling author, most noted for Chicken Soup for the Soul series, once commented:

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.”

These are indeed words of encouragement and reminders that there’s a time for everything.

Here’s some familiar encouragement from Ecclesiastes 3:

v.1 “To everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven….”

v. 12-13 “I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.”

These passages give us perspective and encourage us to attend to every season. That means rest, as well as work. It also means that there’s no harm in slowing down for a time of refreshment when necessary. In fact, it’s encouraged!

I hope you’ll learn from my mistake. If you need to, schedule time for rest on your calendar. It’s like date night. If it’s not on the calendar, it probably won’t happen. Plan ahead if you know you’re heading into a busy season of Beast Mode and capture some time for rest and refreshment. If it will be a particularly full season, take extra care to find ways to downshift. Your mind and emotions will thank you, and you’ll be much happier for yourself and those around you!

Have a fantastic week!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda