Rest

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Kristen Byrd Strother, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.

It’s kind of intimidating, determining the topic for your first blog post, but this morning on a bike ride, my mind filled with many things, it came to me: Rest. One of the questions asked on the health history folks fill out for my Shine On Strategy Sessions is “At what point in your life did you feel your best?” When I did my own history I answered that it was in my early twenties. I had just finished college and continued to live in the Newberg, Oregon area where I had gone to school. A lot of my friends were still around and we would frequently get together. I’ve often thought that the social connection was the primary reason that this time of my life was so great, which was definitely a big piece. But I have since discovered that the real key to feeling so good at that time was because I made time for REST. I had not yet forgotten the importance of rest and had not forgotten how to actually do it! Although I had started my first full-time social service position in Portland which involved a long commute, and even though I was a green social worker testing out my skills on a group of unwary homeless veterans, I felt really GOOD! I was taking time to eat dinner with my housemates every night (we took turns making it, great system!), relaxing on our porch swing in the evenings, taking bike rides, walking to the local coffee shop, and definitely spending a lot of time hanging out with my friends. The difference between then and nine years later? I had almost completely stopped resting. I had taken on so much responsibility, particularly at work, that doing work and fretting about work had essentially become my life. And it’s hard to believe how it can happen, but it completely snuck up on me until my body just wouldn’t let me live that lifestyle anymore. Now is my time of relearning. I’m learning that taking breaks and creating purposeful times of rest is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to our physical health and emotional well-being. I’m finally prioritizing exercise (bike riding is my fave!), quiet times with God, and spending times with my friends. And it feels so GOOD. There is something so peaceful about having more balance in your life. It doesn’t mean you’ve become lazy-it requires energy and work to create rest for yourself (ironic huh?). I would love to hear how you are planning to rest and care for yourself this week. Please let me know about it in the comments section below.

Oh-and it’s super important to point out that my life is now rivaling the experience of my twenties! I am constantly feeling healthier, prioritizing time with God, friends, and family, doing work that I really enjoy, and the most exciting, wonderful thing of all!-I got engaged last Saturday! Life is definitely good and constantly getting better. I am grateful. :)