Include rest as part of strategy
- Karen Wilson: Family Corner
- June 22, 2023
- 529
How and when do you rest? Do you take time to rest or encourage others in your family to do so?
Life has been on full tilt here for the last couple of months. That’s not a huge surprise in the farming life. Spring means new calves, new chicks and new ducklings that all need extra care. Garden beds need preparation. Plants need to get an early start in the basement, then planted outside. Other seeds need to be sown directly in the soil. Temporary fences need to be set up so cows can move from winter pasture to grass. And that’s just the basic list.
This year saw several other good things thrown in the mix that made our family feel like we really had to kick our activity level into another gear. We still have some of the projects ongoing and will for a while yet, but our schedule may have hope of slowing to a bit more normal, although I’m a bit cautious in saying so.
We have realized we need to work in some rest to keep going at our best. Although we enjoy all or at least most of the things we’re doing, we can start to feel pretty worn out after a while. Our minds and bodies need rest.
As a first step, I finally got a bit of extra sleep, something that has been in short supply of late. We even managed a couple of hours of just sitting on the porch watching the chickens.
Yesterday my son and I took off a few hours in the middle of the day to visit a favorite outdoor store. My husband and other son spent a morning fishing last weekend.
No, we still don’t have time to spend an entire day on the couch or somewhere with our feet up, but we are trying to work in a bit of rest.
I recently listened to Olympic swimmer Dara Torres’s book, “Age Is Just a Number.” In it she talks about the importance of resting during her training. As with many athletes, she limited her training in the days and weeks before big events so she could compete at her best.
So I’m trying to include rest as part of my strategy to get things done, even though it seems counterintuitive. If rest helps me think more clearly and work more efficiently, I may get more done and feel better at the same time.
How have you dealt with those extra busy seasons of life? Have you found time to rest along the way? What strategies have you employed to find time for activity and rest?
Whether you’re in a busy time or something more normal, take a bit of time to consider how and when rest can be part of your life. Make some notes. Start putting some of your ideas into practice. Does more rest help your family feel better while getting everything done?
Sometimes life just takes an all-out effort. But then we need a time to rest or at least a chance to gear up for the next round of intense activity.