Sunday is something different for everyone. To some it is a day of rest, to others a day of worship, and to others still, just another day of the week. In the past, Sundays were a day for me to pick up as many hours of work as possible before my busy school week began, but towards the beginning of this school year (my third year in University) something changed. I found that working on Sundays became daunting. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was exhausted from my long school week and using my weekends to work. I had made no time on the weekends to study, and because I had not scheduled any rest time into my week, my body told ME when it was time to rest. I would often find myself falling asleep at inconvenient times, lacking motivation, and wasting valuable study time because my brain and body demanded a break. I quickly learned that when you don’t make time to properly rest, any form of plannning went out the window, and I began to shut down. I was experiencing extreme anxiety at the oddest times for what seemed like no reason. I felt apathetic in regards to my schoolwork, my hobbies, my work, and even towards those who are closest to me. I began a downward spiral and I knew that something needed to change.
Now, entering 2020, I have decided to schedule time for me to rest and time for me to study and review consistently. I managed to curate my class schedule to have no classes on Thursdays, and I have booked Sunday’s off from all of my external responsibilities. On Thursdays I plan to have slow mornings, rest and fuel my body, review in the midday and take time for myself in the evenings. On Sundays, I want to start my week off right by moving my body, preparing for my school week, and enjoying dinner with my family. I am taking steps to become more disciplined but also to listen to my body. Rather than always having my body tell me when it needs to rest, I will ensure I am giving it the rest it needs to begin with so that I can fully dedicate myself to whatever task is at hand. I want to fill my mind, body and soul, so that I can put my best me forward. Prioritizing food for fuel, moving my body, volunteering my time, laughing, spending time with children and elderly, vocalizing my needs, showing love, accepting love, and happiness, are my goals. I hope that by being more deliberate with my time, being more caring towards my mind and body, and by honoring my limits, that I will be more successful in all of my endeavors in 2020.
I encourage everyone to plan time to rest, whatever that means for you. Maybe it means taking the time to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe to you, rest is having a midday nap. Rest might mean giving your brain a break and engaging your body instead by working out. Do what feels good for you, and do not be embarrassed or feel weak for admitting that you need time for yourself; how can you expect to be the best version of you without taking care of you?
In conclusion, I have learned that I can’t take care of everyone and everything that is important to me without first taking care of the most important person in my life: myself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.