Rest = Love
🌊 Finding your way to rest
Hello my friend,
Where do you find yourself this week?
For me, this past week has been good and full.
I co-hosted a Living Table dinner* at my house.
*Think of the vibe of the podcast, but in person and WITH FOOD. ☺️
What’s on the Menu?
Zuppa Toscana Soup
Garlic Breadsticks
Yellow Rice with Chickpeas
& Homemade Flan for dessert
A dear friend of mine helped me put it all together. We each prepared food and invited a few of our friends. We sat around the table enjoying each other’s company, sharing about life, eating delicious food, laughing, and crying when we needed to.
It’s moments like these, that I feel fully alive.
I need spaces where I can be real. Where I can be me.
We played Personal Values bingo1 with candy pumpkins and acorns. Everyone won a prize! 🎃
Even though such an amazing night is fueling and energizing, it also takes a lot of thought and intention to put together.
On this winding path of wellness, with mountains to climb and valleys to pass through, I have come to learn that my body gives me some pretty clear signs when I need to rest.
Signs I need to rest…
🪧 When I’ve had a lot of days of activity in a row
💤 When I feel physically, mentally, or emotionally tired
⚠️ When I start having headaches or start feeling irritable
🛑 When the thoughts in my head become busy with insecurities about my relationships and my strengths
What does rest look like to me?
It used to look like sleeping. Sleep was my go-to escape. When the pain of it all just seemed like too much, I would just crash and sleep for hours. Days even.
When I didn’t have words for how I was feeling…
When the expectations surrounding me felt unmeetable…
When I just didn’t want to deal with any of it, or I just didn’t know how…
To be clear, I still love to sleep. I am a napper for life. But I’ve been grateful in recent years to welcome other things into my life that I enjoy and find restful to me.
🌊 Watching one of my favorite shows. Listening to music. Stepping outside to breathe the air. Going for a drive. Walking along the water. Getting coffee with a friend. Making art. Reading a book. Baking. Taking a bath. Lighting a candle. Journaling. Stretching. Getting a massage.
Think of it like plugging your dying phone into the charger or just turning it off. To rest, I need to plug into activities that recharge me, body and soul. And, I need to turn my mind off for a bit.
How did I find new ways to rest?
Enter friends who welcome rest and invite me to rest. 🫶 I have not made it to where I am today, knowing myself and loving myself like I do, alone.
Did you know living as our true self is much more restful than trying to live as a false version of ourselves?
Listen in 👉 19 | Discovering Your Own Path to Wellness Recovery with Special Guests Amanda Cady & Amanda Morrison (Part 2)
Pause
Breathe
Become aware
Check in and Reflection Questions: ✍️
Where do you find yourself on your path today friend and how is that making you feel?
What might you need to remind yourself today?
Have your feelings been suppressed? Is there a feeling (or more than one) that you are experiencing that you could name at this moment?
“Where are you today?” Can you name something you need today? How can you care for yourself where you are?
Want to share your reflection with me?
Reply to this email and your words will come directly to me.
Want to share your reflection with the community?
Leave a comment. 🫶
Know someone who would love this?
Invite them to the table.
Just a reminder: I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care, please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911.
Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health, any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.
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