A Day of Rest

When did you last have a completely ‘work free’ day?  A day of rest?  When you have your own business it is extremely tempting to make yourself available for work every day.  Even just turning your computer on to check emails interferes with your ability to switch off and rest.  Don’t get me wrong, the weekend can be a great time to catch up or devote yourself to a project, but making weekend work or 7 day a work a habit is ultimately, counter productive.

Early on in my life as business woman I made the decision that one of the aims of being in business for myself was to have the ability to have ‘down days’.  The Internet makes it possible to work every day and I could certainly find a reason to lose myself to work every day, but I strive to have at least one day each week on which I not do that and very often there is more than one day.  I do have to be flexible about when I take that time, but as a Mum that suits me too.  For me Fridays are a great day for catching up on housework or attending to personal things (read massages, facials and haircuts) and wherever possible I also have at least one day of each weekend that I don’t work.  I am guilty of checking emails, but more and more I find that I can leave the computer off and do, well, nothing much at all.   There are always exceptions, but what is the point of working if you cannot take time off to sit back relax, reflect and enjoy your achievements?  Down time recharges you and gives your mind time to wander, which can in fact inspire your work.  And importantly, resting both your mind and body is essential for ensuring that both perform at their optimum.

In  a recent blog at zenhabits, Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist discusses the ‘Lost Practice of Resting One Day Each Week’.  If this sounds like you, make a cuppa or pour a glass of wine and take some time out to read this.