“Why Voluntary Bed Rest Is Good For The Body & The Soul, Even When You’re NOT Sick”
When is the last time you took a day to rest? And before you start listing all of your reasons why you can’t, you shouldn’t and you feel guilty taking rest, let’s take a minute and pause. Read the question again. WHEN is the last time you took a day to rest?
I am a doer. I tend to hang around with doers. RESULTS. That’s my love language. However, my most favorite vacation of all time is laying on a beach, in the sun, in Hawaii. Doing NOTHING. When I get the chance to do this, I have been known to get irritated if someone tells me there is something I must do! I like to rest. Many of my clients who coach one on one with me are shocked by that. The see me accomplish a lot in a very short period of time in nearly every area of my life. So when I tell them I rest, A LOT, it just does not compute.
There were many years in my life when I didn’t rest. Sadly, I didn’t even rest when I was very sick! While I do have fond memories of my babies, when they were sick, resting with them, I have very few memories in my past of resting, for me.
Far too many parents use the excuse that they can’t rest, because they have kids and things to do. Obligations. But the people I talk to who have kids, and many times, A LOT of them, who do rest, they tell me that it’s much easier to keep up with their obligations because of the rest.
It’s a delusion really. Push harder. Go farther. Plates spinning. Everyone else takes a break and we work. We think this is helping us. We pride ourselves in the ‘hustle’ of it all. I used to resent people who could relax and rest. My husband! He can unplug, read a book and NO GUILT. I used to call him lazy. Now he’s my hero. I LOVE HIM! He has taught me to rest. God is so good to give me this man.
Studies show that people who constantly go go go rarely accomplish more because they push, they actually accomplish more because of focus. FOCUS is what makes us powerful, not lack of rest.
When I began to take voluntary rest times in my month, it was totally motivated for spiritual reasons. I knew that I was a better woman the more time I spent alone with God. And the more time I spent with God, the stronger I got.
Then God took me to a season of learning to read, quietly, by myself, without distractions, To Do lists, false guilt or anything. Then movies. Jesus and me, we’d watch movies together. Hours and hours and hours in bed with Netflix. I learned to decompress and relax. He first taught me to do this when my health was an issue, then He began teaching me to do this when I wasn’t sick.
When I had to go on 75% bed rest about 3 months ago it wasn’t a challenge. People asked me if it was hard. No, God prepared me for it. I’ve been on about 35% bed rest since December when I was first hospitalized and in March it got worse at the next hospitalization. When I went on more bed rest because my health demanded it, personal discipline was very very important. But it wasn’t hard.
When I’m on bed rest I’m not just laying here sleeping all day. I’m also not working in bed all day. That is NOT bed rest. If I do work in bed, do a class, write an article, create a product, I consider that time work, not rest. It’s such a blessing to have created this kind of life, with my own business. I can teach a class to 850 people, like I did this past week, from my bed. No one can see me. I’m powerful, in my bed! I get dressed for work, I’m not in my PJs all day. (Comfy work clothes LOL like leggings and a nice top) And I have learned to be POWERFUL. That’s what I want you to learn. Learn to rest. Learn POWER. Focus on rest. No texting, no phones, no email. Disconnect.
I’ve learned to do some stretches before I rest. Strengthening exercises in bed. I’ve taken up a new habit- knitting!
Yesterday was my first day of knitting. I’m not using the needles because of the arthritis I have and neurological issues in my hands, so I’m using a knitting loom. I started this scarf out just yesterday, my first day of knitting, and in about one hour I heard God say, ‘You used to have so much trouble with patience. Now look at you. Patience makes you so powerful Sandi.” Wow. That is so true. And I used to hate the idea of knitting or crocheting because I didn’t have the patience. Now I do. I did this entire scarf in about 5 hours yesterday. 5 hours of movie watching, relaxing, talking to my husband, and resting. 5 hours of BLISS.
I challenge you. Schedule a day of rest. How about this Saturday? Or even Sunday? A day where you eat in, order your food, or get your meals ready ahead of time. Plan your movies, plan your sleep time. Take it as serious as you do a very busy day at work.
Rest. It’s where you will take hold of your soul and become powerful!
Love,
Sandi Krakowski
