Relax: What Rest Looks Like When You Can’t Take a Break
Any of you remember a picture book full of little elephants disturbing mummy elephant’s deep desire to have just five minutes’ peace? Mrs Large, who is indeed an elephant living in a house, is desperately trying to ignore her children so she can have a bit of time to herself? Except that they have other ideas. She runs the bath, and gets herself in it, and then the steady stream of interruptions begin.
Now my children are 16, 19 and 22 and I still fully relate to this problem. Not because of them as such (maybe a little bit), but because five minutes of peace can be so hard to find - let alone a day, a weekend, or a week away. How do we find rest in the midst of normal life, and how do we learn to relax even when we can’t get a proper break?
A full weekend off. A long bath. A holiday with no signal. A proper break - the kind where the laptop stays closed, the phone is ignored, and the to-do list gathers dust. Now, this IS a very important type of rest. One, that at the time you will be reading this, I will have just had with my family. These kinds of breaks are beautiful. Needed. Worth fighting for. But here’s the thing I’ve been learning lately: sometimes rest has to look different and we can’t live for this kind of rest. We can’t keep lurching from one holiday to another, struggling to manage for the entire period in between. We simply HAVE to find ways to rest in the life we are in right now.
Sometimes we’re in seasons where we can’t fully stop — when life is full, work is intense, family needs are high, or our circumstances just don’t allow for stepping away completely. And in those seasons, we need to get a little more creative about what rest looks like. Because without it we’re heading towards a heady mix of depletion, demotivation and disconnection - from ourselves, our purpose, and the people around us.
This week’s podcast is about what rest looks like when you can’t take a break - and it’s a topic that’s felt very close to home. Until this past month, I’ve found myself in a chapter where full rest isn’t always possible. But I’ve also found that micro-rest, and redefining what “relaxing” even means, is not only helpful - it’s essential.
— The myth of the ‘perfect break’ – and why waiting for it can make things worse
— The difference between rest and escape
— Why some people feel anxious when trying to relax (hi, that’s me)
— The surprising ways rest can show up – a walk with no phone, a few deep breaths in the car, finishing a task you've been putting off
— What your nervous system is craving vs. what you think you need
— Types of rest you may not be considering
— And maybe most importantly: the permission to rest imperfectly
I share a few personal stories from recent weeks, moments where I had to actively choose a tiny bit of rest in the midst of chaos. And I hope hearing it helps you feel a little more seen in your own rhythms, and gives you some fresh ideas to try and build some r and r into the day to day.
If you’re tired, stretched, or just trying to hold it all together - I made this episode for you. Rest doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. You are allowed to take what you need, even if it’s only five minutes at a time.
With love,
Hannah x
P.S. Ping me an email with your idea of how to micro-rest! And I’d love to know if any of the ideas in the podcast give you some fresh inspiration, too!