My client was excited that her new business was thriving. But she also said she was exhausted. She felt tapped out from the non-stop activity of her work, plus her life with her family. She said her favorite memories were the few moments in her life when she was relaxed and peaceful.
I said we know we're overwhelmed when we get too busy to rest. The resulting tiredness negatively affects our activities, creating more problems for us to have to fix later. My client said that she couldn't afford to take a week's vacation.
I told her that a little bit of rest goes a long way. Sometimes just a few hours of resting, or being out in nature, playing with a pet, or listening to music can be rejuvenating. We might even have to schedule in this rest just to make sure we get this elixir.
It takes a conscious effort because taking a break is not a role model that we're encouraged to follow. We live in an adrenalized culture. We learn from ads, tv, the internet, and society as a whole to always be doing something. I saw someone walking down the sidewalk yesterday, frantically texting. I had the thought that she was missing out on an opportunity to just walk and be.
Activity becomes clutter when it depletes us and takes away from our quality of life.
My client said that since she was the boss, she was going to schedule in some half-days off. She actually put them in her calender.