Rest is powerful. It is necessary for humans and all of the earth to have a rhythm of work and rest. The balance is important. Only resting without work can negatively impact us and it can cause unhealthy lethargy and feelings of worthlessness, depression, and meaninglessness. On the opposite side, hustle without rest can feel like we are on a never ceasing hamster wheel. It can lead to burnout, irritability, restlessness, and a lack of feeling deeply inspired about what we are pursuing.
I wanted to focus on rest during the winter season, as it is natural to be less productive and to not have as much energy or even desire to leave the house. As the world gets darker and colder, I want to invite you to let go in this season of the expectation that you have to produce, that you have to constantly keep up with competition. I want to invite you to take a posture of ease, of gentleness and reflection. May we slow down as the world outside urges us to slow as well. Productivity is important, but productivity without the necessary time to reboot will actually backfire and we will in turn become less effective and less productive.
Even more than this though, I want to push back on the perspective of resting so that we can keep being productive. Rest is vital in and of itself. Rest can be an end goal. Rest can allow us to take space from the busyness of work, and it can allow us to slow down and notice the people around us. It can push us to breathe and notice what we have from a place of gratitude. And when we rest, we are less likely to cut corners because we won't feel as if there is never enough time, and instead we can go at a slower pace knowing that the journey is equally as important as the destination.
We Even see the trees not producing and all of creation come to a quiet null. Winter means it is the season of rest.
I love the winter season. The cold and the dark make me turn to quiet and reflective activities like writing.
One of my favorite ways to find rest is to spend time to reflect through journaling and creativity. Below you will find questions to process through. You can process through all of them or only a few. Find what feels good in this moment. May it inspire deeper rest, reflection, and contemplative introspection.
What has consumed my thoughts and attention in my down time?
Where have I felt the most vulnerable?
Where have I felt the most peace?
What word represents the season of life I am in?
How am I doing: mentally/emotionally/physically/spiritually/relationally/financially/etc.
What am I avoiding? Why?
What am I hopeful for?
What are somethings I need to let go of?
What are some daily rituals/habits I want to add into my life?
What does rest look like in this season?
Peace and all good things,
Kendyl
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