Last week, I let you all know that I was taking a quick break. I took a quick 4-day trip out of Indianapolis with the Beau. We made very little plans for this trip except to see family, catch a comedy show, and have breakfast at our favorite spot in Orlando. When not doing those things, we found ourselves sleeping, binge-watching Netflix, or talking and laughing over a nice meal. We did not discuss, think, or worry about work, church, family/friend drama, COVID or any of the regular day to day brain fillers. I cannot express to you the level of peace I experienced on this trip. (Me laid out on the hotel couch after breakfast and a nice nap!!)
Organizing an event can be extremely stressful. Whether you are the event planner or the client, it is important to take moments of rest. It is important to remind myself to do that but also important to get my clients to make those moments happen for themselves. When they are able to take that time, I often find they come back to me in a better state to make decisions, are able to express their needs more clearly, and more willing to listen to my recommendations and guidance. When I refer to my clients as "being able to take that time," I am not necessarily talking about a long getaway. We often equate rest with a vacation. We also tend to associate it with long periods of sleep even though you can sleep but not rest. (Something to think about!!) While rest can happen with the aforementioned items, it can come in different ways. Let's look at the definition of rest. Merriam-Webster has several listed but there are a few I want to point out:
freedom from activity or labor
to be free from anxiety or disturbance
peace of mind or spirit
We need to know what part of us needs rest and do the things that bring freedom and peace in those areas. My yogi friend taught me how stop and focus on my breathing. I do this at random times for about 5-10 minutes. You should see how my body completely relaxes and my Fitbit captures that change via my heart rate and stress levels.
Rest might be you escaping away in your mind by reading a book. Take a chapter or a couple of pages a day. You may find rest in a few moments of prayer or meditation. You might also discover it in a project you have been wanting to start. Well, do it and work on it a little at a time. Rest could be exercising as it reduces stress hormones and produces
chemicals in the brain that helps elevate mood. The idea is you find those things that work best for you and have several of them because there are days where you only will have 5 minutes and others where you have an hour.
I hope that you will be intentional about instituting your moments of rest over the next week. Until next week...
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