Nearly every woman I know juggles many hats.
We are moms, committed to our families…
Wives, Partners, navigating long-term relationships in all the ups and downs;
Working and/or running businesses;
Leading or heavily involved in, a non-profit
Serving the needs of others by volunteering, mentoring, and encouraging others.
We facilitate the needs of and advocate on the behalf of our neurodivergent or medically fragile kiddos, as well as support the needs of our other loved ones who need extra help.
All while trying to maintain the relationships and connections with those we love and our support system.
And often, while navigating our own health issues and healing journeys.
Our plates are full. The To Do List does not end. We know how to get things done, how to push through, and put others needs first.
But often one of the things we struggle with is seeing to our own needs. Giving ourselves permission to rest. Permission to recharge. To build time in to decompress, restore our energy.
Trusting that pressing the pause button on the To Do list is okay. More than okay, necessary. In the long term.
I know for me, I have had to give myself permission to rest.
To take a day off. To sit for a time on the deck in stillness. To curl up with a good book for an afternoon, or morning. To sleep in. To lay down and rest instead of pushing through.
Giving myself permission to rest. Intentionally, making the choice, to rest, to refuel, to mentally and physically reset.
And if I don’t, I know my body will shut me down. I’ll reach a point where at the biological level, my body will claim the rest it needs. And that isn’t pretty. Or convenient.
Giving myself permission to rest has been a learning process, a growing process…
But a worthy one.
And one I am still learning…
Related:
Cultivating Calm: Strategies to Invite Calm Into Your Busy Life
Shannon Stoltz is a writer, trainer, and entrepreneur. But her favorite role has been that of work-at-home mom to four fabulous, homeschooled, and now grown, kiddos. Shannon is fascinated with how humans learn, grow, and communicate, and passionate about the importance of embracing our unique gifts, talents, and individuality. She lives in the countryside outside Houston, Texas, with her family, and their menagerie of rescue animals.