Put it Aside
I recently just had a long month of grad school, it felt like never-ending studying. Once I finished one exam, I had to start studying for the next one. And if by some miracle I didn’t have to start studying for a few more days, there was a presentation to crank out or another time-eating assignment. To one friend, I compared how I was feeling to running and never getting that deep breath every 0.5 miles or so. You can keep going, but it’s hard, and the run is much less enjoyable.
After that month came Spring break, and I had never been more ready for a break in my life. My family was coming to visit for a few days, and there was no way I was going to get away with working on school stuff (not that I really wanted to anyway). I had the opportunity to put aside all that work. For a few days, I wasn’t a grad student, I was just myself. No work emails, no school emails, nothing. That is what felt restful; mentally taking the time to push that part of my life aside.
Resting looks like mentally taking that time to yourself. It doesn’t mean working from your bed or only doing 2 hours of homework tonight instead of 4. You have to make the conscious decision that either tonight or this week (or whenever you rest for however long), you’re not going to spend your mental/emotional energy worrying about or focused on that project, work, test, etc.
I’m not asking you to forget about all those other responsibilities when you’re resting. That’s likely impossible for most of us. Just because you are resting, doesn’t mean that that isn’t a part of your life. Of course you can’t just “get rid of it.” I am saying that when you rest, take that time to actually rest. What does that look like though? Here are some ideas.
Do you really need to take your laptop or work phone on vacation? Honestly.
Remove your work email account from your phone, at least while you’re resting or on vacation. If someone is emailing you with a question, it can likely wait until business hours or when you’re back.
If a coworker or classmate texts you with work- or school-related questions or drama, could you respond by letting them know (kindly) that you’re stepping away from that for the evening or week and can talk about it later?
Make sure you leave the place you work in when you rest. Many of us have been doing school from home or working remotely. Hanging out in the area you do your work is only likely going to make you feel more stressed or keep your focus on those projects. Physically leave that space.
When we have the opportunity to fully put something aside so we can really rest, we should take it. Next time you take that break, try to give yourself the full capacity to rest.
Challenges/Points:
When we rest, we often don’t give ourselves the full opportunity to do so, but mentally (and physically) putting aside some of our responsibilities can help us feel truly rested.
Putting your work or school aside doesn’t mean forgetting about it. It just means consciously making the decision not to focus or worry about those things for a while.
Next time you rest, try doing so by deleting work email off your phone, leaving your computer behind, physically leaving the space you work, and refraining from conversations surrounding your job/school.
Questions:
When’s the last time you truly rested in this way?
Which point seems the most practical for you to implement?
When is the next time you can rest?
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