One of my favorite lessons about rest comes from an unlikely source: my high school lacrosse coach.
On a hot North Carolina day during a tough practice, Coach Heather told us if we were thirsty, we might be waiting too long to hydrate.
“If you're dying for water, you're waiting too long to drink water,” she told us. “Let's take water breaks before we get to this point.”
Her advice really got to me. (Ask anyone—I travel with like three water bottles.) But recently, it came up in a new way.
It was just last month. I was limping through an exhausting week, thinking—I'm dying for a break. And Coach Heather's advice hit me. If I'm dying for rest… maybe I'm waiting too long to take breaks.
Y'all, I'm super guilty of this.
Wait until the work is complete before I relax.
Wait until the chores are finished before I sit.
Wait until I'm bone-tired before I call it quits…
I'm still learning how to rest—how to rest often, and consistently, and even when my to-do list isn't to-done.
So lately, I've been trying to see certain signals as signs that I've waited too long to rest. (Exhaustion, burnout, sudden fear that none of my goals are possible, procrastination, obsession with Tetris on my phone—all big red-flag signals that I'm overdue for rest.)
My goal is to start resting more before I get to those points.
Because, hey—we don't earn rest any more than we earn water.
It's time I treat both as everyday necessities.
Dr. Sarah Glova, Co-Editor of 8&21, Forever Fan of Coach Heather 🥍
The break sign
Sometimes you need a sign to remind you of what you already know but aren’t practicing.
Recently, my sign came from my Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy page-a-day calendar on my desk. When I glanced at the calendar in the middle of a very hectic day, I realized I hadn’t even turned the page that morning.
The new calendar page seemed to be custom made for me:
A message about taking a break when you are thriving (instead of waiting until you are barely surviving).
I got up from my desk and strolled down to the lake to enjoy a break. And it felt good. Very good. And when I returned to work, I felt reenergized and better able to take on the rest of the day.
When I feel that I do not have time for a break is exactly when I need to make time for a break. Even a short break improves my attitude, my creativity, and my productivity.
So, let this be your reminder to create space for a break before you are overextended and to embrace the rest that will support and sustain you.
Dr. Sarah Egan Warren, Co-Editor of 8&21 and Taker of Nature Breaks 🍃
Taking a Pause
This is the 50th issue of 8&21.
50th!
50 different versions of reflection, celebration, and inspiration.
Thank you for being a part of this journey.
We want to celebrate—by inviting you to Pause with us.
Look for Pause as a free download in our next issue.
And thank you, sincerely, for helping us to reach this milestone.
Here's to the next 50!
Great job!
Way to take a pause and give 3 minutes to your practice of pursuing awesome
by exploring this issue's theme. You rock!
Thoughts about this theme?
Us too! We're keeping the convo going on social. Join us:
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