In today’s society, we are constantly on the go. There are multiple pressures continually on our shoulders, whether it is building a career, earning enough money to accommodate your lifestyle – as a student, parent, home owner, setting up for retirement, providing for your family or self-image pressures. One of the common themes across all walks of life is finding a work/life balance, but more importantly finding the time to rest and reset.
Now, I can already hear the reasons coming through as you read this… “I have mouths to feed, bills to pay, pressure to perform at work, when I’m not at work I need to attend to chores, errands and others… etc”. I get it, I’ve been there – I’ve had those thoughts (and sometimes still do!). But what a lot of people don’t realise, is the burden it places on not only your body, but your mind as well and the increased risk of developing health issues – anything ranging from hormonal changes, digestive malfunction, chronic fatigue to mental illness and many more.
From personal experience, I’ve always been one to put work before everything else and it did catch-up to me. My body had its way of telling me to slow down (in fact hitting me like a truck in the form of tearing my Achilles tendon), but it was good eye-opener and life lesson that further confirmed that the tighter you pull something, it will eventually snap. This is where I gained full appreciation of not only letting my body heal physically, but also mentally. I struggled with many things at this time, but mainly my state of mind and lack of sleep – it was a good time to hit pause and reset. I was able to work on what needed my attention, what was going on in my mind as well as focusing on healing my body.
For the first time in a long time, I put myself first and made a promise to myself to not only listen to my body when something felt off, but also to do my best to ensure everything can run as smoothly as possible across both my personal and professional lives. Most of all I wanted to remove all negativity from my life to keep my mind as clear as it could be. I simply did this by taking the time to sit down and reflect – no tools, no prescribed procedures, just an old-fashioned hard look at my actions and what I was looking to achieve in life. This resulted in my coming back to work with a refreshed attitude and I have been able to thrive ever since.
Rest comes in many forms, whether it is reading a book, taking a holiday, having a bath, going for a walk, watching TV, meditating etc. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s something that allows you to switch off. It has been proven that rest, especially extended holidays/time off, reduces stress, blood pressure and does leave you with clarity of mind. Even something as simple as meditating to and/or from work, a little longer in the bath coupled with breathing exercises helps slow down your body in the evening (some great apps to use are “Insight Timer” and “Headspace: Meditation & Sleep”). Other methods would include, completely switching off your mind when not at work (harder than it sounds!), massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi.
For me, ‘rest’ can range from playing sport, putting on a light-hearted movie, listening to music, picking up the phone to mum & dad, going to the beach, or one of my favourite things to do is simply lay on the couch or bed with my partner, Melissa, in silence (unless there’s washing to put away!).
You have to wonder; we service our cars to keep them running smoothly, we put our computers to sleep when we aren’t using them and we take our pets to the vet for check-ups to ensure they’re okay. Yet we put our own needs to the side – complete a detox/cleanse, get your 8hrs sleep and have regular check-ups with your GP/specialists to ensure you are looking after yourself. No matter your line of work, how junior or senior you are, or even if you aren’t working, it is extremely important to look after yourself and promise yourself time to rest and reset.
I am Senior Consultant specialising in the recruitment of Product, Marketing and Digital professionals across Banking, Payments and Insurance. I’m known as the Sports Addict and also the in-house DJ, being in charge of the Parity Spotify playlist! For a confidential discussion, I can be contacted on 0410 001 635 or alee@parityconsulting.com.au