Can you rest? I’d never really thought about it before I retired. As a teacher, rest was simply not working on school work. When I first retired, I told myself that I was taking a year to “rest.” I think I probably meant, just not working. I did rest that first year, despite my poor understanding of resting. After the year, I knew that I was more rested because my ability to create, and concentrate returned.
More To Rest Than I thought
I have built up some stamina. However, if being well-rested means having space in your emotional cup to deal with life’s bumps, then my cup is still full enough to overflow with a small nudge. My tendency to take on too much and overwhelm myself, suggests that I still haven’t got a good grasp of what rest is, and how it looks as part of my week.
Wary Of Burnout
Last week, was a particularly busy time when I took on too many commitments. (Yes, I’ve discovered, that it can happen easily even when you’re not working full-time.) I knew I was overwhelmed as I watched my usual healthy routine of walking the dog, Zumba classes, and finding the time to cook nutritious meals get chipped away.
One of my warning signs is hyper-focusing on crocheting like my life depended on it. Last week, I couldn’t seem to stop making examples for the school students in Art Club, where I volunteer each week. This wasn’t restful. By the end of the week when my extra commitments were done, I was left frazzled and unable to concentrate enough to write.
What does rest look like when you retire?
I’m reassessing my assumptions that once I retired I wouldn’t require regular rest. It would seem that rest needs to be part of my healthy routine as much as exercise and sleep. I have a feeling that rest is deeply personal, and that what works for one person may not work for someone else. So, instead of scouring the internet for ideas, I thought about examples of things that feel restful to me:
Rest is slow, but not sleeping.
Rest is looking out the window and watching the birds at the feeder and squirrels in the trees.
Rest is meditating with a soft blanket across my knees.
Rest is lying on the floor with my knees draped over a pillow.
Rest is watching a candle flicker and drinking tea.
They are activities without goals or objectives. They are peaceful moments of presence. I think I knew that, but now I know it again. Presence is rest.
Now that I’m more aware of it, I will be gathering more restful experiences for my list. What feels restful for you today? Comment below.
Retired, And Now What? 