11 Easy Ways To Rest As A Busy Person

It feels like the perfect time to be writing this article as I woke up this morning feeling slightly under the weather and super tired after waking up about four times to respond to our baby during the night. Today especially, I am going to have to make sure that I rest where I can as I want to continue to be a patient and loving parent with good habits.

As a mom of two young kids, resting has never been trickier to do and I really must search hard for moments to do so.

Resting nowadays is not as easy as it used to be, for a couple of reasons:

1. Technology means that we are always ‘available’ and I find myself checking my phone far too much. There are emails and messages I feel the need to reply to and a quick recipe search on Pinterest ends up taking me a couple more minutes than planned as my attention is drawn to other ideas.

2. Every time there is a moment to rest, I feel the need to fill it up with something that is on my never-ending to-do list. I feel guilty if I rest instead of tackling the task when I have the rare chance.

3. I am so grateful to own the home that we do but there is a ton of work that comes with it such as working in the garden; DIY jobs; cleaning the house; shopping for food; getting quotes for renovations etc.

4. Dropping the kids off with family for the day to get things done is not an option as we live in Portugal and a trip to South Africa will have to wait until Christmas.

The ideas below can, and should be, done every day of the week, whether you work from home or out at the office.

Easy ways to rest as a busy person:

1. Wake up earlier than everyone else: I know it sounds like you will be getting less rest by doing so but you will feel a lot more energized and patient by filling up your own cup first. This feeling will carry you through the rest of the day.

2. Have a cold shower or just splash your face with cold water and get dressed to feel good: I’m not saying you need to get dressed up, but wearing clothes that you feel good answering the door in, (if an unexpected visitor that turned up at your house) is good enough.

3. Have a cup of tea/coffee or eat a meal outside in the sun: Do this without your phone, give your brain a break and just enjoy your beverage without a distraction. The world can wait 10 minutes for your response.

4. Listen to a podcast/audiobook while making dinner: Personally, I love cooking but I know many people don’t. That is why James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, suggests pairing something you don’t like with something you do like, such as enjoying a glass of wine and a podcast while you cook. You have the power to turn any ´mundane´ moment into a beautiful one that fills you up instead of drains you.

5. Color/paint/read: You can even do this with your kids! Do not feel guilty about resting in front of, or with, your children because they need someone to model this for them. You can use an adults coloring-in book or paint-by-numbers while your child does the same but in their own coloring-in book. Enjoy a few pages of a book while your child flicks through their own books nearby. There is no need to stimulate your children or give them 100% of your attention, 100% of the time so enjoy a calm moment of lying with them on the grass outside or cuddling in bed and drinking a cup of tea while they play with their toys.

6. Read some fiction: I love reading personal-development books but at the end of a long day, sometimes my brain needs to relax. Instead of watching Netflix or scrolling through social media, I have started to read fictional books that grasp my attention, increase my vocabulary and help me sleep better. Can you believe that I used to feel guilty if I was reading any other book that was not educational?

7. 5-Minute meditation/breathwork: 5 Minutes is all you need to turn your energy around. Doing 5 minutes of meditation now, will give you hours of clarity.

8. Go for a walk while listening to a walking meditation: I love the Superhuman App that was founded by Mimi Bouchard, there are so many meditations to choose from and I like to listen to the “Walk While Manifesting” meditation during this time.

9. Take a 20-minute power nap: When I am tired but there is so much to do (as there always is), I have decided that I will always take the power nap. Everything else will get done much more efficiently if I have had a power nap and will end up saving me time compared to if I just started on the task without the nap prior.

10. Turn on some music: If you are struggling to shift your mood, music can help. Music has been around in the form of a whistle or a hum since humans first walked the planet. It’s innately part of being human so put something on that will make you feel good.

11. No social media for the rest of the day: I have so much more energy, patience, clarity and focus if I don’t go on social media. If you need to rest, use any of the 9 ideas above instead of jumping on social media.

Don’t let the ‘hustlers’ trick you into thinking that you aren’t being productive. There is power in resting and being able to do it for just a few short minutes scattered throughout the day is extremely effective. It is sad that we have to consciously think about when and how to rest because we are constantly being stimulated and distracted. Let’s slow down while we do the things we do and you will find that you feel more rested, energized, present and patient.

If you are like me and feel the need to be productive 99% of the day, it’s important to remind ourselves that slower and more mindful moments are possibly the most productive moments of our day. Since we give our brain the opportunity to have a break, we can gather more energy for the next couple of hours ahead and think of new ideas. Taking time to “sharpen the saw” will add hours to your day.

I would love to hear how you are able to find rest as a busy person so do let me know in the comment section below.