This morning as I slipped out of bed I was already plotting on how I could get a day where I could just crawl back into bed guilt free. However if you were like me then you need to start heeding your subconscious before someone is slipping you back to bed in a room that is padded and white.
I was close to that room this morning- the padded white one. I know because I cried on the phone to husband this morning. I never cry like that. The poor man listening to the sobs of a woman whose only words were I am so tired why won’t they sleep?
His words “Go back to bed”.
“I can’t there is stuff to do” was my reply.
“You won’t be any good to anyone especially the kids” he said.
“Go” he said and so after the kids went to school I did because even though I don’t need it especially from him I got permission to do so.
I went and did nothing which then turned into resting which turned un-be known to me into a much needed sleep.
This morning before he called I had that slipping feeling. That I was on the gentle slope of decline. I knew it was time to do some nothing, some resting and some ‘me’ time. All very self-indulgent ‘resting, nothing and me time’ but the benefits of doing nothing is HUGE, it must be because I wrote that in capitals so take note.
Resting is good for your mental health your physical health. It’s good for your kids and your husband. Everyone benefits from a well rested mama and papa too. Let’s not forget the hard-working papa’s.
Now this doing ‘nothing’ is not for the faint hearted I know it comes easy for some and some are even paid to do it long-term but they are most often different to you and I. There is a difference and you must be aware of that however in the case of people like you and I resting is difficult. It comes with guilt. It comes with should I really be doing this and yet it’s essential in maintaining good mental and physical health so why do we even question it or feel guilty.
Being over tired or fatigued your dangerous to yourself and your family. You’re dangerous on the road. You’re at higher risk of depression and sometimes being tired/ fatigue it’s mistaken for depression. You become flat. Your immune system starts to lapse. It makes you short-tempered, anxious and moody. You can’t concentrate. You forget things. Your find everything an effort.
In short you need to rest. Your body is trying to tell you in the nicest possible way before it shuts down completely and your taken to that padded white room in a less than attractive state that it tired. Crazily enough before anti-biotic were prescribed for everything from in grown toenails to flesh eating bacteria they sent you back to bed for rest, literally because that was the best thing you could do for yourself. Back then people would think nothing of bed rest as a prescription; the patient or the doctor. Now chances are the patient and the doctors are just as tired each other, it’s that common and normalised.
But life was simpler back then less guilt less stuff to do and more community.
Hence my latest how to:
How to do nothing so as to avoid that padded room where the fashion is horrendous.
- Turn off all electronic equipment you have creating white noise- including your smart phone.
However here is the catch 22…if you have kids little kids…turn on the TV. It was invented for all good mothers as a last-minute baby sitter…10 minutes will be okay in a safe environment if you can’t work out what a safe environment is find an appropriate person to take your child for you..you’re far too tired to be with them.
Or if you can’t do that when your baby rests you rest…yes the old wives tale is true.
2. Divert the phone to message bank and turn the ring down low.
3. If it makes you feel better write a list of everything you need to do when you finish resting. If it bothers you set an alarm clock for when you need to stop resting…
You know in case you happen to fall asleep…heaven forbid.
4. Go back to bed and literally rest. Listen to your breathing. Close your eyes, count to ten and mediate. Clear your mind and imagine your happy place for at least 20 minutes… The world will not end in 20 minutes…rest for longer if you can…the French do it for 90 minutes they call it lunch but I suspect otherwise…
5. When you have finished resting go get a drink of water, a cup of tea and just sit while you readjust yourself otherwise it’s all undone.
I tried it worked and I rested slept for 40 minutes and whilst I didn’t get my REM sleep I don’t feel like I’m going to crash; well not today anyway. Seriously resting allows people to gather their thoughts, to gain perspective, and to relieve stress. A certain amount of regular resting bludging or idleness as one website called it is essential to a happy, healthy, fulfilled life.
So go rest. I encourage you. I give you permission if that’s what you need to stay well and healthy for your family and more importantly you.
Xx Deb
{image with thanks}
