"Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep sleeping" and the importance of rest in a busy, busy world.
Jessica Andrews
On health leave currently, but usually I guide business owners to supercharge their visual messaging skills through display, scene setting and on message brand merchandising.
Quote author unknown.
Somehow we are halfway through January, and I wanted to share a few thoughts that I posted across the festive period and new year on my personal socials. Those who deal with IT Support on a regular basis will be familiar with being told some variation of 'close all your browsers, turn your computer off, and then restart.' Well, as Anne Lamott is credited on the interwebs, as saying:
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
Like a lot of other peoples, at the end of the year, I like to look back and sum up the past year. For me 2024 as a year was a complete change up. If you have been following my profile, you will know that I have been taking a break from career pursuits for health reasons. Investigations continue. This past year, words have been evasive at times so I’m not sure I’ll get what I want to say down exactly, but I’ll try. The fatigue I have comes with a brain fog component and I can see words, but not necessarily vocalise words at some times - especially in high pressure situations like arguments (perceived or actual), or when I am tired.
This past year has been about accepting my limitations - for now - and finding ways around them… while also looking for solutions and ways forward. Which led me to examine the concept of 'rest.' Did you know that rest is not the same as sleep, and self care extends beyond the fluffy concept that a trip to the spa and bubble bath with candles are enough to fill our chronically exhausted empty cups?
As a society, we have been trained to chase goals and then there is that never ending list of tasks we have to fulfil for survival on a day to day basis. We are exhausted, and need to learn how to rest properly. I had a vague idea that sleep on it's own didn't quite cut it in the rest stakes, but I didn't realise there are supposedly 7 different kinds to keep a note of. Based on the research of Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith (she has a TED talk) these are:
That's quite the list, and just looking at those titles, I can see how they fit together and if each kind is not adhered to, how you would progressively journey towards exhaustion and fatigue - those two things bringing with them a myriad of health problems, both physical and mental.
This next year, I want to continue to find ways of honouring that list of basic needs. To take the first one, physical rest - my body makes it very clear when it wants to stop, and there is no powering through that. Think Duracell bunny advert. I really don’t have the Duracell batteries
The next four are similar, in letting me know when they’re timed out. Mental and Emotional are quite often intertwined, and as someone who is very aware of her emotions, I’m working on being honest with where I am at in any given moment. Which leaves us with Social, Sensory, Creative and Spiritual.
Ernest Hemingway (who I don’t normally vibe with) apparently once said:
In our darkest moments, we don't need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection - a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much. Please don't try to fix me. Don't take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way. My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me l'm not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It's a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken. So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength. Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It's a love that helps me remember who l am, even when I forget.
This year I want to carry on learning about the various kinds of rest, and what those look like in my world. I want to thank everyone who has offered support and kept their judgements to themselves. I will continue to work towards altering my limitations, and finally, I will continue to recognise that just because we are entering a brand new year, does not mean that there needs to be an entire overhaul of my personality and being. Honour what bought you to this moment, and continue to bring what makes you to the world.
To come back to a previous post and thoughts relating to Widow Clicquot - Rest well so that you have the ability to build resilience and face the challenges of business and risk. Keep the faith when so much remains beyond your control, and believe in yourself and allow your own story to unfold - in the face of massive amounts of doubt and bad opinion from others and the competition, if need be. Widow Clicquot did all of the above, and she still took such a raw product and changed it based on her own tastes and ideas - walking her own walk away from tried and tested flavours and creations and to make such a mark on her industry, completely changing the face and the flavour of her own fortune as well as the region. Very inspiring.
Happy new year all. Wishing you improved health, acceptance, prosperity and everything you need to work towards dreams, aspirations and goals, whatever they may be in 2025.
And finally, from one literary giant to another in Lewis Carroll (see pic). I believe the same applies to our careers. Make a conscious decision about the roles you work in; the people you do business with; who you share your dreams with; what you have to give up in order to make those dreams a reality... career wonderland.
What dreams, inspirations and aspirations will you be acknowledging and reaching for this year? Give it a rest... it's part of how you'll achieve them!
“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton?