649: Rest absolutely does not need to be earned
Today we're rounding off a week of rule breaking, and diving into the idea of rest being a transaction, and why that's not the case.
Episode transcript:
Good morning, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Friday to you. This week on the Daily Peppers, we've been going through 5 rules that we get to say no to. And I have seriously been having a lot of fun with this and I think we'll do it again in the future. And to round off this week, we're finishing with a really important one. And it's this unspoken rule that so many of us have been brought up with and gets echoed in so many ways from so many people and the society around us that we can only relax when you deserve it. Now we have all been there. I'll sit down and have a cup of tea when I finish this project. Once I've done this thing or finished this task that I've been putting off, then I'll get to actually sit down and relax. I'll put on the telly after I've done this one more thing.
And, well, we know that the one more thing never ends. There is always so much more shit to do. And around here, we tend to be pretty good at moving the goalposts. So I mentioned earlier this week that about 10 years ago, I burned out really, really hard and it was really not pretty and my mental health seriously suffered. And around that time, I'd use things like, oh, well, I get to go for a walk if I do this one thing. Or if I'm able to really push through and just do these last two things, then I get to go and be in nature, which I knew really filled me up. And I think it just got to the point one day that I thought, do you know what? Fuck this. Going for a walk and being in nature or just getting out of the house and getting some fresh air, that is not something I need to earn.
There is no kind of cosmic brownie point system where I need to cross off x amount of tasks on my list in order to meet my basic needs. But at that time, I was really living like there was one. The thing is rest is not transactional. You do not need to earn it. You do not have to be absolutely exhausted in order to take it, and it doesn't have to look a particular type of way. So no matter what kind of week you've had, no matter how many things you've ticked off the to do list, or how many of the things that you said you would do that maybe you haven't got done, remember that you get to rest regardless. Rest is absolutely an essential part of being human. It is integral to being able to function and also to be the person that we want to be.
I know for me, when I'm not getting my rest, I am grumpy. Everything feels like a massive slog. I'm pretty miserable. I'm not that good company to be around, and that's not who I want to be. So we are seriously ripping up the rule book on that one because rest absolutely does not need to be earned. And that wraps up our 5 rules that we are absolutely breaking and rewriting for ourselves. We're probably gonna do this again on the daily pet. I would love to know if this has resonated with you.
You can find me on Instagram at Meg Kissack, where I'm aiming to be a bit more active at some point. But I do check it. And I'd love to hear what really stood out for you. So here's to not living between the rules that somebody else has set. Here's to intentionally creating our own guidelines for what is a good wholehearted life for us. And if the next episode on Monday feels a bit too far away, remember that you can sign up for my letters of rebellion emails, which hit your inbox every Sunday where I share the most vulnerable things and stories that I don't share anywhere else. And you can sign up to them by going to the rebelrousers.com/letters and I would love to see you there. Regardless of what you do this weekend, I hope you get some rest time for you. And however compassionate you think you should be towards yourself, times that by a 100. I'll see you on Sunday in your inbox or Monday in your ears as always. Take care.
Episode transcript automatically produced by Castmagic.io
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A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!
The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.
Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines
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