Happy Friday! The first week of April is finished, and I'm kind of wondering where the last month went. BIG WORK opened and closed, my essay in Elizabeth Gilbert's anthology Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It was published last week, and I'm going to a film shoot this week for a short student film project in Boston.
Despite these recent projects, the biggest chunk of my time has been spent on relaxing. And oh, how good it feels! I'll admit that I had a hard time transitioning from a constant production schedule to free evenings and weekend, but once I let that buzz of busy-ness fade away, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking things slower.
My inner perfectionist tried to take the wheel at first, making me think I had to plan the perfect way to recharge. "Should I go to yoga class or take a nap? And I know I want to read and stretch, but which one is best to do first?" Finally, after much agony over the proper way to go about relaxing, I took the advice of a very wise friend and simply did whatever I felt like. Which for me, has meant a bunch of different things; all of which help me to recharge and refill my well.
Here's a partial list:
Binging on Gilmore Girls (which is streaming on Netflix!)
Trying some new comfort food recipes (since it's still apparently winter here in the NE)
Snuggling with my cat
Long, leisurely, Saturday morning breakfast with my husband
Reading a few new books that have been on my list forever
Getting back into meditation
Laying on the couch and literally staring at the ceiling and breathing
Dancing alone in my kitchen
I think part of me felt like I had to design the perfect relaxation schedule because often, when we read about recharging, we're faced with a million photos of people relaxing that look like this:
Despite these recent projects, the biggest chunk of my time has been spent on relaxing. And oh, how good it feels! I'll admit that I had a hard time transitioning from a constant production schedule to free evenings and weekend, but once I let that buzz of busy-ness fade away, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking things slower.
My inner perfectionist tried to take the wheel at first, making me think I had to plan the perfect way to recharge. "Should I go to yoga class or take a nap? And I know I want to read and stretch, but which one is best to do first?" Finally, after much agony over the proper way to go about relaxing, I took the advice of a very wise friend and simply did whatever I felt like. Which for me, has meant a bunch of different things; all of which help me to recharge and refill my well.
Here's a partial list:
Binging on Gilmore Girls (which is streaming on Netflix!)
Trying some new comfort food recipes (since it's still apparently winter here in the NE)
Snuggling with my cat
Long, leisurely, Saturday morning breakfast with my husband
Reading a few new books that have been on my list forever
Getting back into meditation
Laying on the couch and literally staring at the ceiling and breathing
Dancing alone in my kitchen
I think part of me felt like I had to design the perfect relaxation schedule because often, when we read about recharging, we're faced with a million photos of people relaxing that look like this:
Am I right? The internet is full of photos of beautiful people sipping tea, holding a yoga pose serenely, gazing up at the sky, lying in a bed of cloud white sheets (with no dirty laundry in view). True, photos like this look so lovely, but most of the time, they don't inspire me. They just make me think "Geez. I don't think I have the wardrobe for relaxing. Or the right amount of sunlight."
So much of the time, I feel like I need to be wearing the "right" thing to relax, sipping the "most relaxing" cup of tea possible (what does that even mean?!) and generally conforming to this ideal image of Beautiful Rest that we see splashed all over Instagram and Facebook. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
It's time to start a rest revolution. Instead of Beautiful Rest, let's aim for Real Rest. And, to prove I'm not just all talk, I am leaving you with this very real photo of me about to embark on an evening of relaxation. No yoga studio, perfectly coiffed hair, staged setting, or Photoshopping here. Just striped pajama pants, a well loved pink sweater, and a classic reindeer, wolf, and bear bathrobe. For me, it doesn't get any more relaxed then this.
So much of the time, I feel like I need to be wearing the "right" thing to relax, sipping the "most relaxing" cup of tea possible (what does that even mean?!) and generally conforming to this ideal image of Beautiful Rest that we see splashed all over Instagram and Facebook. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
It's time to start a rest revolution. Instead of Beautiful Rest, let's aim for Real Rest. And, to prove I'm not just all talk, I am leaving you with this very real photo of me about to embark on an evening of relaxation. No yoga studio, perfectly coiffed hair, staged setting, or Photoshopping here. Just striped pajama pants, a well loved pink sweater, and a classic reindeer, wolf, and bear bathrobe. For me, it doesn't get any more relaxed then this.
I am wishing you a Real Restful weekend that involves you doing whatever fills your well in whatever way you like. As always, feel free to comment or share this post with someone you think might also enjoy it!