Rest.

Growing up participating and competing in athletics, I was often taught to always work hard, give it your all and put in 100% all of the time. I was taught that to be the best and to win, I had to work harder than the next person. I would get in the gym early, push myself to the limit and get extra reps in at the practice facility. I would spend hours working on my technique for my golf game. I would hit shot after shot, do drill after drill and play 100’s of golf holes. While that thought process certainly helped me to be very successful in my own right, it failed to take into account how important rest is. For your body. Your mind. Your health. Your soul.

I am far past my competitive athletic days and I still have yet to fully adopt the mindset that hours of rest and rest days are so important. Rationally, I understand that you need to rest. I understand that overnight sleep is not the only way to recharge. Taking time to breathe is crucial for your mental and physical health. Having stretches of time without screens is key. Alone time is so important. I know all these things.

I still have a hard time reframing the “give it your all everyday” mindset that I grew up with. It is challenging for me to sit still. I like to accomplish things and I have always felt if I slow down, I might lose traction. If I stop, I might not start again. “A body in motion stays in motion so how can you get that momentum back, if you stop?” is what my inner critic says to me.

Over the past few years, I have been finding ways to shift this mindset. To allow myself to slow and yes, even stop. And it is not natural or easy for me to do. But it is necessary. And unlearning a previous belief can be hard. It takes time. It takes experience. It takes small intentions and actions to change thought processes and habits.

I write this on my computer in the passenger seat as we are barreling down the highway towards vacation. The first one in a long time. I am feeling a sense of burnt out from the past year. I have worked really hard during a worldwide pandemic to earn my coaching certification, start a business, support my clients, create a podcast, build my brand through online platforms, serve as a mentor coach, write and publish a book, follow it up with a workbook, coach a golf team through a Covid-stricken year, continue recruiting for the future of that golf team and plan for the upcoming school year.

I am making small commitments to myself while on this vacation: to sit still. To read by the pool. to turn off my phone. To disconnect from social media. To take a breather. To reset. To swim. To walk on the beach . To pay attention to my surroundings. To be present.

How are you taking time to rest? Can you take a nap? Go for a walk without your phone? Ask your spouse to take the kids for a few hours so you can take a bath, read a book and drink a glass of wine? Go get a manicure? Take a yoga class? Sit in the sun and be completely in the present?

Rest is underrated. Rest is crucial to your long term health and wellness. If you don’t have a plan for rest and recharge, I encourage you to do just that. Put rest into your daily, weekly and monthly life.

Your Future Self Will Thank You.