I type this post as i share with you my reflections on 2021. This year seemed endless and intense. So i started reading and searching for answers for myself that explain that observation and so in case this comes in handy for you, these 2 things are i believe the main culprits, at least for me.
First culprit: multitasking.
A few months ago i had promised myself to stop multitasking but the life i currently live is making it really really hard. Or maybe i am too weak, we'll never really know :-)
After all, so much is now possible thanks to this amazing technology that surrounds us: you have a phone that is always on and that allows to to -simultaneously- write messages, listen to music, read emails, shop, chat with others, check the time, access the internet, take photos and check out what the rest of your worldwide social circle is doing at that exact moment or ...4 minutes ago! And to add to that, we are on the laptops - with insane capabilities - working our day jobs most days and sometimes even in conjunction with overseeing the kids who stayed home this afternoon...
Second culprit: rest.
I was writing a lot and then today, as if the universe wanted to help me structure my thoughts, i saw this article and it laid it all out with so much clarity that i really had to share with you. In short: there are 7 types of rest in life: physical, mental, sensory rest but also creative rest, emotional rest, social rest and the final one spiritual rest. Read the article linked below to understand the differences.
Despite my unforgiving scepticism, i also realised that the reality remains that there is more than 2 types of rest and we rarely take those. Here is an example: i recently felt drained and decided to go on a wellness weekend with a friend of mine. It was a great experience and arguably i got some of the types of rest but i came home and found myself confused about not feeling as rested as i expected myself to be post wellness weekend. I had a clear case of "Stealth Expectations" with myself as Brenee Brown explains so well in her book " Rising strong". But now, i also know exactly why: i had physical rest, some emotional rest, a lot of sensory rest but definitely no social rest, no full mental rest, no creative rest - lost of existential questions kept popping up - and no spiritual rest. I've got a long way to go still to do a better job at self care!
So this year, i will start gently by being more mindful of all the things that are happening around me at any given moment and where i choose to put energy in as well as ensuring i've got a plan for every - or multiple- types of rest. No other resolutions for me!
Enjoy the read and let me know if you are also struggling with this!
