After a game or intense workout, we athletes know how crucial rest and recovery are to developing strength and getting better as a player. If you're go go go without resting, you won't be able to perform well come game day. If you don't practice or workout at all, you won't perform well either (duh). It's all about pushing yourself physically and mentally, and then resting and recovering in order to reach optimal performance.

A friend sent me this article linked below - I like it because it starts exploring about how to apply the same philosophy to other areas of your life, like your career.

If you're constantly working, always taking on new projects and burning the midnight oil, that's a nice recipe for burnout. Plus you never really get the space to pick your head up and reflect, taking in the learnings from all your hard work. and assessing if you're still going the direction you want to be going.

If you never take on anything that's challenging, you won't learn and grow. That's stagnant, not to mention boring.

When I think about how to apply this stress + rest approach to other areas of life, like career and relationships, I find a lot of people struggle with the resting part.

It's so easy in today's world to get caught up in the go go go, do do do or else you'll fall behind.

Being busy is a status symbol. I'd argue that that space, that pause, is crucial to check in with our inner truth, our gut, and identify learnings and direction to go from here.

How are you creating space for yourself to rest and reflect? And I'm not talking about creating space by sitting on the couch watching Netflix. I'm talking about savoring the stillness, and meaningfully creating space in your life in a way that heals, inspires, and recharges.

Is it a 5 minute meditation in the morning and then journaling as reflection? Is it having a no email weekend and enjoying the stillness of having no plans on a Saturday? Is it blocking off 45 minutes to reflect on your month at work and what learnings you want to incorporate next month? Is it saying no to someone, a social event, or some request?

Happy resting :)

To read more:

https://www.outsideonline.com/2327746/equation-will-make-you-better-everything-stress-rest-growth