Rest & Relaxation

Happy Sunday!

You may or may not have noticed that there was no blog last week. After 13 consecutive weeks, I decided I needed to take a break. I even tried to write something but truth be told, I was not inspired. The past few weeks have been pretty intense as I did some soul searching. The journey of self-love is a never-ending one. I tend to be hard on myself and just like with work, I tend to just keep going. The past week has reminded me to slow down and rest. Before COVID I was begging for a chance to rest and now that I can make my own schedule, I found myself filling it up with little to no time to rest.

Our minds and bodies are truly amazing. The amount of information that is processed daily is unbelievable. We are not machines, although we treat ourselves that way sometimes. And even machines need rest. Even God rested! Society has programmed us to constantly be busy. Slogans like “Sleep when you die” have been engraved in us. In order to process all of the information it receives, our bodies and minds need to rest. If we’re constantly on GO, we are not processing information correctly because our bodies are making sure we go. If you take a road trip and you need to get to point B by a certain time, you are not stopping unnecessarily and not taking in the sights. Someone at Point B might ask if you saw xyz along the way and your response may be that you think you saw a sign but you definitely did not stop there. Sometimes this mindset is needed to reach a goal or complete a project but you can’t keep going and going with no rest.

Usually when we rest, we are also inspired or some things may become clearer. Your body will speak to you and let you know when its time to pause. Listen to it. As you learn to listen to your body and trust yourself, you will learn more about yourself and ultimately what works for you. Would you rather spend years doing things you don’t like that make you uncomfortable just because someone said it should be done or would you prefer a life that meets your needs? We think if we work hard at something, that we will begin to like it or maybe it will get easier but that’s not the case. Sometimes we need to let go to find what we actually want. 

I lost my job in May and I did not think I would be making fruit pops and boozy pouches full-time yet Tropsical is here and here to stay. It may seem trivial but i feel more fulfilled and I have the time to spend with my kids and be involved. I say all of that to say we need to make space for the things we want but so often we hold on so tightly to what is not serving us that we can’t hold on to what we want. Don’t go out and quit your job just yet. Start making space in small ways. You want to start a business? Start setting aside time daily or weekly to work on the business. Do you have a name? Do you know why you want to do it? What sets you apart? You want a home office but have you made space? Do you know what you will need? 

You have to learn to trust yourself. We often talk about our distrust in others but often times, it starts with us distrusting ourselves. Listen to yourself. Know what feels good and does not just sound good. We are all different so different things will excite us. There will be moments when you are learning and moments that require unlearning. For example, I used to love event planning but right now I don’t. Do not be afraid to let some things go. You don’t have to like everything your friends are liking. They don’t have to like everything you like. Take time to learn yourself and honor yourself.

Remember that your rest is important. During your pause, you will do things that make you happy. For me, some days that means I am on the beach and other days I am cuddled up with a good book. Don’t drain yourself and your creativity by doing too much. Be inspired as much as you want to inspire. Have a great week!  

P.S. Be sure to follow @motherlovingdiva and @tropsicalsxm on Instagram!