Friday mornings are usually a full body day at the gym. Today however, I rested. It felt strange to sleep in and get up later, knowing that a lot of the morning routine wouldn’t happen. Even know, as I put words to the page, I want to roll out, stretch, and go to the gym. It is Friday after all. Yet sometimes the body needs to not lift heavy things. And I need to listen. Not that it makes it any easier, particularly when you start getting inside your head. I can still lift. Even a mini session is important for muscle growth, we might rationalise to ourselves. Deep down though, I know that isn’t true. Rest is what is needed to promote healthy bodies and muscle growth. Today, my body is telling me it needs rest.
There is an opportunity for me to flip some of this thinking. What if I just simply rested? There is a lot of joy in that, too. You don’t have to follow a set schedule every day. Or routine. If you need a rest day, that’s okay. There are a lot of different activities that I can do instead. I can linger more, spend more time reading, more time writing. More time sitting out on the balcony (affectionally at times called the stoa). These extended activities, such as being able to get lost in chapters rather than hurry to the next thing, are important too.
On these rest days, here’s a couple of extra, or extended things, I can do:
- Read more (an extra chapter or two can really immerse you deeper into what you are reading)
- Sit on the balcony and let my thoughts wander
- Write more
- Brainstorm and ideate different business ideas
- Take longer to drip my first coffee, being conscious to appreciate each sip
- Watch a full podcast interview
And so, here I am, resting. Being okay with it, actually, once that first bout of negative thoughts are done. It is also a good timely reminder to ensure flexibility in these routines. There are plenty of activities I love doing, and it’s okay to deviate from a schedule where needed in the morning. This is life, after all, and sometimes you should just take time to sit on the balcony, read a few more chapters, and enjoy the cool air on your face whilst it’s there, rather than having to run off somewhere else.