The Radical Act of Stopping

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop." ~Ovid

This week, I find myself feeling a little depleted after the week I had last week, on top of the fullness of what I have on my plate already. We lost our old horse, who we think was in his early thirties. Our horses are all rescues except one, who was born here from a mare we rescued (we didn't know she was pregnant). Then my husband was in a car accident (everyone's okay).

I took Sunday off and rested, and I noticed a little niggle in my mind about what I 'should' or 'need' to do. I have a big capacity to give a lot, and I still do my own inner work to make sure I give to myself.

Here's what I know from decades of this work: the body doesn't lie. When it's screaming for rest, pushing through isn't strength; it's overriding the very signals that keep us well. After trauma, many of us learned to ignore our body's needs because survival demanded it. Rest wasn't safe. Stopping meant vulnerability. So we learned to push through exhaustion, to override depletion, to keep giving even when we had nothing left.

But that survival response doesn't serve us in everyday life. The niggle that tells us we "should" be doing more, that rest is indulgent or lazy, that our worth is measured by productivity...that's not truth! That's old programming.

Your body knows when it needs rest. The exhaustion is information, not weakness. The depletion is a signal, not failure. When you're running on empty, the most radical thing you can do is stop.

Here are a couple of practices I use when my body is telling me I need to rest.

Practice One: The Body Check-In

Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly. Ask your body: "What do you need today?" Keep an awareness of your mind. It may be thinking 'should or 'need to get done'. Feel into your body, and what do you notice? Do your eyes feel heavy? Does your whole body feel weak and lack energy? Remember, your body speaks through sensations, not words.

Practice Two: Permission to Rest

Say this to yourself: "Rest is not earned. Rest is necessary. My body needs it, and that's enough reason." Notice what resistance comes up. Acknowledge it and allow it to exist, then say to your body, "I give you full permission to rest. Thank you for what you do." 

Reflection

What old story tells you rest must be earned? Where did you learn that pushing through depletion was required? Can you acknowledge that story came from survival, not from truth?

This week, I'm practicing what I teach: listening to my body, honouring depletion, resting without guilt. Allowing grief to drift in and out. I invite you to do the same with whatever is happening in your life.

I am resting my mind and not writing a full article this week. I chose to share with you in real time my practice of giving to myself. Let me know if it is helpful.

What do you do when you feel depleted?

May you be well, may you be happy and may you have inner peace