Endless hustle & grind? Not for us, bestie. In this household, we value rest.
Related: 7 Ways To Destress When College Life Is Getting A Little Too Real
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag anxious when you’re not busy? Or perhaps worried that you’re not doing enough when you’re on summer break? Are you someone who feels guilty about rest?
If you are, firstly, you’re not alone, and second, take a breath. Productivity is one thing, a good thing most of the time, actually, but society pressures us to be so productive, often at the cost of our health. Sentiments that have us thinking rest is unnecessary are sentiments that’ll have us uninspired, burnt out, and constantly exhausted.
Rest is good! Taking a break is good for our well-being, despite how much it’s ingrained in our minds that being busy and our perceived notion of success are the be-all-end-all of life, and that not being busy means not striving towards that success. Do away with the guilt, bestie—you deserve to rest.
ADMISSION OF GUILT
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When we feel guilty about taking a break and resting, it might be because the hustle and grind culture is so prevalent in daily life, whether in school or at work. It’s become ingrained in our culture to be busy with sleep or success being seen as a binary choice that are mutually exclusive from one another. It might also be because we tie our sense of self and self-worth with our productivity—who we are is what we do or what we achieve. There’s too many lessons to catch up on, too many projects to do. Why should we take a break when we haven’t reached our goals yet?
Well, simply put, it’s because it’s good for us. Fine—you don’t want to take too many breaks because there’s much to do. But don’t dismiss how much rest and relaxation, whether you perceive it as sleep, unplugging, or vacationing, can help you physically, mentally, and emotionally.
REST IS NOT FOR THE WEAK
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Though Gen Z is, inadvertently or otherwise, resisting “hustle culture,” it’s still hard for so many of us to completely ignore the feeling of “being left behind” or the pressure to grind in order to not just succeed, but even just to live. For instance, rising costs of living, less-than-ideal wages, and increased competition across all fields and industries means so many people have to take up more than one job—part time jobs, startups, and side hustles have become the norm.
Some people perceive rest as a waste of time, unnecessary—something that hinders them from being their best self or accomplishing their goal—or even impossible, what with they have to do for their own lives. Simply put, that’s not the truth, Ellen. Resting actually helps us be our best selves. It resets the mind and body, helps us see things more clearly, and grounds us back to what matters. It’s in rest where you can recalibrate once you start loosing your way because the last thing you need is to lose interest over a passion just because you feel overwhelmed. Take the little moments of rest when you can.
Resting can look different for different people, too. Rest could mean going on vacation, sleeping in, hanging out with family or friends, doing your hobbies, or spending all day parked in front of your laptop, ready to watch all your fave movies. A big part of rest is staying present and mindful in the moment, not worrying about your next assignment or the next project you have to work on. Thinking about those things will just make you even more anxious (trust us, we’ve been there).
TAKE A BREATH
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Life is short, yes, but that doesn’t mean you have to be on 24/7, 365 days a year. Rest is not of lesser value than work or even play—it’s important. Take all the chances you have to take a break (take it from Hamilton). You’ll find you’ll be much more motivated and reinvigorated to go about your day.
It is a privilege to rest for many people, but the goal is for everyone to have ample time to do productive work, to pursue their passions, to spend time with loved ones, and to rest in whatever way they want to. The rising acceptance towards taking “mental health breaks” for school or work is a great sign of a culture growing less focused on hustling and grinding. There’s still much work to do on a larger scale, but start with yourself. No more feeling guilty about rest when you’re dead tired!
There is such a thing as too much busyness, and too much rest. Don’t feel guilty about taking a pause and recalibrating when you need to, but don’t fall into a slump and take breaks all the time—there’s still so much life to live. We just have to find the balance. So take your rest and treat yourself right. When you’re ready, you can get back into it with an even better attitude and mindset.
Continue Reading: 6 Ways To Destress And Decompress When The Job Is Getting Too Much
