The Importance of Rest
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This summer, I decided to take a rest…seriously! Given the year we’ve had, I thought it was important. As a nation, and global community, we are coming out of the one of the worst pandemics in a century. The impact of the lock downs, masking mandates, illnesses, and deaths have left many of us worn out. We can see this weariness manifest in defiance (those who don’t want to wear a mask), disbelief (the virus isn’t real), or disappointment (mostly at others who are acting selfishly by not doing the bare minimum and wearing a mask). I’ve experienced interactions with folks going through all these behaviors…and it is exhausting.
Rest is one way to regain your energy as well as a sense of control over your life. Many problems we experience come from our sense of feeling out of control – anxiety, depression, disengagement, anger… I could go on.
Rest is more than just getting enough sleep. It is a way for us to calm the mind, body, and spirit. A way to regain a sense of understanding of the realities of our lives. A way to see what we have influence and control over, and what we really don’t. For me and some of my peers, this commitment to rest coincides with my recent transition into perimenopause.
The word perimenopause (the beginning stages of menopause) and its impact on productivity are not often talked about in the professional world. Whether you work in public or private institutions, inside or outside of academia, the naturally occurring human shift into menopause is never considered as a factor that impacts you as a worker. It is seen as a private matter that you must figure out on your own.
In actuality, both men and women experience hormonal fluctuations throughout the day and along their lifespan. These fluctuations can create huge distractions and often have a negative effect on how you work. You feel out of sorts, out of control, lost in your own skin, and just plain tired. Perimenopause forces you to pay attention to your body, mind and spirit and compels you to do something…often the best thing you can do is rest.
Whether you are a man or woman, rest is one way to pay attention to what is happening and assess what you can and cannot do to influence the changes that are occurring around you and within you.
As I mentioned earlier, rest allows our bodies and minds to recoup, to realign, and regain the energy we need to continue on our professional journey. For students, you can check out Emily Hauge’s article on rest for academic success here. She notes that “our culture sees sleep as inconvenient and rest as weakness, and our health is suffering, but we can decide to be different.”
John Spencer’s article and podcast talks about how when teachers rest, we all win. And by we, he is actually talking about all of us. Teachers have a far reaching impact on society, so yes, we all win when they have an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves through rest.
Jasmine Abukar in her article For Colored Girls in Academia Who Have Burned Out/When Rest Is Enough, speaks directly to Black women academics. She talks about the negative effects of expectations and assumptions about Black women as being strong, magical, and even alchemists (we make something out of nothing!). She says enough…
And finally, a great resource that explores the restorative power of rest is The Nap Ministry. Their writers focus on the restorative nature of napping and how it should be seen as an important part of your self-care regimen.
Let me know what you think and share how rest is helping you deal with both professional and personal changes.