This blog is posting on the first day of my Summer break, and it’s the beginning of my annual struggle between resting well and just being the laziest lump you’ll ever see. Now, I’m not going to say that I’ve totally got it mastered, but their are some things I’ve noticed really seem to help.
One of the big things I’ve noticed for myself is that I need structure and planning. If I just get up in the morning without any plans at all, I tend to start watching tv, playing video games, or scanning the web for “a bit,” until I realize, suddenly, it’s about time for dinner. I enjoy doing nothing, for a while. Eventually, though, it becomes less about resting or enjoying, and becomes an exercise in sloth.
I don’t want to be misunderstood. Sometimes, having time where you aren’t doing anything is important. That should still be scheduled, though, so that it is being kept in moderation. This doesn’t mean you have to map out your relaxation to the minute or anything, but set aside some time for resting that isn’t indefinite. Even a plan as vague as running errands in the afternoon can prevent you from spending the whole day on the couch.
With the summer being here for the kids in our lives as well, we need to model healthy balance in our relaxing, otherwise we can’t really expect them to maintain it for themselves either. I know a number of the students I was teaching these last few weeks were making no secret of their plans to spend the summer doing nothing but sleep and play video games. It’s important to remember that in life, we don’t stand still. We either move forward or backwards, even in our rest. Resting is important because it’s a vital part of our health. Like all medicine, if the dosage is wrong, either too much or too little, it’ll do more harm than good.
Leave a Reply