a 6-part series on the dimensions of wholeness …
to activate you in your life + leadership
When you hear the words REST and RECOVERY how do you feel?
Yes, I jumped right in.
There are so many feelings to sort through, let me just give you the core seven from the feelings wheel:
Happy, Surprised, Bad, Fearful, Angry, Disgusted, or Sad
For me, it’s HAPPY instantly followed by SAD.
I dream of rest! I see sandy white beaches and feel the warmth of the sunshine and taste the salt in the air. I see a stunning three-course meal where I am not counting calories and there is no guilt to follow. YES! Let me see the dessert menu.
No schedule, no time frame, just taking things moment by moment.
Deep breath in and a deep breath out, fall asleep mid-afternoon, get lost in a RomCom, laugh until my stomach hurts kind of rest!
Sounds blissful right? Now cue Sadness … I am not the best at REST.
I am getting better thanks to my coach. I used to run on all cylinders until I crashed. I still carve out a Sabbath only to say “yes” to one more task, and then sometimes harbor resentment on my own lack of boundaries.
I multi-task all the time and am always striving to accomplish one more goal, which brings me great delight.
Wholeness in this dimension is your ability to allow your mind and body to recover through strategic periods of rest.
When Covid hit I went into overdrive, which I often do when a crisis comes. I was determined to not let this get me down. I could thrive working at home. I could handle being at home with my two teenagers (one battling depression). I can deep clean; I can mask up; I can fight for racial reconciliation; I can navigate all of the complexities of the presidential election; I can stay active; I can eat healthily; I can pastor people through this season; I can coach people through this season …
I can … get Covid (deep sigh) and be ground to the couch for 30-days.
The first week of January my entire family got Covid. Happy New Year to us.
Your girl had just finished Whole 30, started a fitness routine, and was halfway through my 90-day Bible plan. I was killing it.
Covid wiped me out. Knocked me down and forced me to be still. I have never felt this type of exhaustion and misery for a prolonged period of time. Life stopped. I took for granted the ability to smell, taste, walk outside, and stand for longer than 20 minutes.
And yet, I experienced REST and RECOVERY in an entirely new way. I listened to my body and obeyed. I cried and lamented 2020. I worshipped. I journaled. I did so much deep and meaningful restoring work that I feel more alive and three steps closer to being my WHOLE self.
We are all works in progress. We’re on our own journey toward wholeness. My HOPE for you is that you too can experience wholeness through strategic rest without being forced to.
You know the feeling when your phone battery is on the last 5 % and it’s in the red and you don’t have a charger in sight? It’s a Force Quit. Don’t let yourself get to that point. See the warning signs and do something about it. Everything can start again after a time of rest.
How can you experience wholeness through strategic periods of rest?
Stop right now and ask yourself:
when was the last time I truly rested and recovered my life?
Rest is a secret weapon.
Rest is not weakness.
Rest is an action.
Rest is what can take you to your next level.
Rest is your best “yes”.
Here are three strategic approaches to implementing a rhythm of rest in your routine!
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Identify what rest looks like for you. You are one of kind. You might share the same Enneagram number as your fellow sister but in all of your amazing uniqueness what brings you rest? What works for her might not work for you and that’s ok. In fact, it’s by design!
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Identify your best rest rhythms. Schedule rest otherwise it will NOT happen.
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Daily: 15 minutes or more
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Weekly: 24-hour rest period
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Monthly: get away for a day
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Quarterly: get away for a weekend
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Annually: get away for a week or more
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Stay accountable to rest. Who will you seek out to check in with you and make sure you are getting adequate rest? A coach can help you with this! I tell my coaching clients all the time, “Set a reminder on your calendar to check in on yourself. You got this!” Thank you, technology. Smart Phones help you accomplish your smart goals. Not your thing? Grab a post-it.
You can have excuses, or you can have results. To lead a life of wholeness, rest needs to be a part of the plan.
Recovery is a natural result of your rest. Watch your mood elevate, your time become more impactful, your energy increase, your connection to your mind, body, and soul thrive.
What are you waiting for, sister? Do what you need to do! We need you to show up in the fullness of who you are!
Stephanie Porter
Certified Coach
Interested in joining a 6-month online coaching group with a sisterhood of other women?
New groups are forming now to help you take your life and leadership to a whole new level as you deliberately pursue wholeness in every dimension.