Rest is radical. Rest is nuanced. Rest is crucial. Rest is iconic.
Rest is a revolution.
We live in a society that devalues rest. That downright disdains rest. Look around. Keep looking. You’re not going to find suggestions that you rest out there.
If we’re going to value rest, we’ve got to do it for ourselves!
We’ve lived such brave lives. We’ve gone against the grain countless times, forging the unique and occasionally uncelebrated paths we now walk. But when it comes to rest, we tend to fall in line. Pushing ourselves beyond our limits. Sacrificing sleep and nourishment to eke out another hour of productivity. Berating ourselves for the slightest lapse
And this is a disaster.
It’s not JUST that extreme lack of rest leads straight to burnout. Illness. Depression. It’s that even the chronic low grade lack of rest we call normal keeps us MILES from our best work. (Not to mention enjoying the creative process.)
Of course creative flow is the greatest feeling in the world. Of course producing great work satisfies like none other. But what allows for the grace of this output is its seeming opposite.. beautiful and nourishing rest.
If high quality rest is not up there with our topmost priorities, we must yet again call upon that rebel inside. We must stage a major and immediate revolution.