I never considered myself creative or an artist. I always wanted to be but never felt I had those natural talents. My skillset was being organized and organizing others. This led to me working with creative types in management or supporting roles. By spending time with people I considered artists, I learned so much about their process and what it took for them to get their creative juices flowing. 

The word “hobby” is thrown around a lot - maybe too much? Between school, work, extracurriculars, etc, etc... It’s easy to lose track of what’s a hobby in your life. If you have lost track, here’s a simple definition: an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. Now let’s break that down a bit. 

Being sick always comes at the most inconvenient times. It never seems to come on a rainy day when no one wants to be outside. Instead you always find yourself stuck indoors on the most beautiful days feeling terrible with only the desire to lay in bed or on the couch. For most of my life I would turn to watching movies when I was sick. You don’t really feel like doing anything else, so you just stare at a screen, not really enjoying the movie or even processing what is going on. It took me a number of years to realize that this type of behaviour wasn’t even restful for me while I was sick. It usually made my headache far worse and my sickness would just be drawn out. What your body really needs is a rest from your normal everyday habits. 

In today’s world, there are countless distractions to keep our minds running and our bodies on the go. When it’s time to finally rest, the cards are stacked against us. If you’ve found it hard to turn off the fast-flying thoughts or to get that heart rate down when it’s time to sleep, here are a few ideas and why they will help. 

Society often talks in extremes. Either you are a workaholic and need to chill out or you are lazy and need to do something with your life. It often seems like there is no middle ground, no balance. Personally, I tend to stay busy. I like having a schedule, routine, etc. I crave productivity in my daily life. However, if I don’t give myself any time to rest, my productivity level goes down, I’m irritable, and I feel exhausted.

Society constantly tells us that we need to “Go, go go!” or we’re lazy, unambitious, or unmotivated. Even in this rising self-care movement, it can still seem like resting is frowned upon. However, rest is imperative! If we are constantly moving, thinking, working, etc., eventually, we will burn ourselves out and become irritable and all around exhausted. I personally struggled with this last year. 

All too often in our society, sleep tends to be placed on the back-burner. We all like the idea of sleeping and letting our bodies rest after a long day. However, we don’t always make getting to bed a necessity. We all know what going on little sleep feels like, so why don’t we try to make sleep as routine as our mornings? It’s not always that easy. Sometimes it’s work that keeps us from getting enough sleep. Other times we have to be at some event that goes well into the night. These things are largely out of our control. However, there are also times when we are the root of our lack of sleep. Maybe it’s the time you're out late with friends. Or it might just be that night that you can’t seem to put your phone down. Either way, most of us aren’t getting enough sleep.

Think of this as a challenge, one with few repercussions if not completed but possibly some unrealized benefits if accepted and acted upon. The next time you pull out your “to-do” list and start making plans, goals, or dreams for the day or even the year, leave some room for fun. Give yourself at least 20-30 minutes a day to do something you really enjoy but often think of as a “waste of time.” Read that book, go for a drive, call that friend, sing your favorite song, paint a picture, let yourself dream again, and find out what you didn’t know you were missing.

Spontaneity of any kind can be really difficult for some of us. Rigid schedules can make us feel like there’s no room for anything else in our lives. One more person asking us to do something, even if it’s a fun activity, may leave us feeling overwhelmed. First I asked you to block off a time every week to rest, and now I’m asking you to say “yes” to unexpected moments to take a break?? Yes. Do it and see if you actually regret it. I’m not saying to say “yes” to everything that comes up or spend all your nights being spontaneous. Just every once in a while, give yourself the space to do something that’s not on your schedule (but still something that you want to do). 

Where do you usually get your best creative ideas? I’m not talking about a source like Pinterest, or social media scrolling, but instead, the moments when your brain has been rolling around ideas all week, and suddenly the lightning bolt strikes and your “aha” realization is crystal clear. 

When you better understand your own body’s response to different weather situations, you can find a good rhythm for balancing rest and activity and making the most of what each day brings. Whether that is a brisk walk in the fall while you enjoy the changing colors of the leaves, or a rainy day in spring where you take the time to rest and be thankful for new growth, in each and every season, there are unique ways to rest. Going along with these natural changes can bring out the best in you while also increasing your appreciation for what each new day brings.

Have you ever felt so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time? In an article with Wired magazine, positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described a flow state by saying, “The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost” (Cherry, 20221). It’s important to point out that the experience of flow isn’t just limited to hobbies or creative pursuits. Certain types of work can also let you tap into a place of deep, restful concentration.