As we enter in to the last quarter of the year, I can only imagine the kind of pressure most of us face. The Pandemic has taken almost 7 months of the year and we have all of 3 months left to either wait the year out or push ahead to complete some of our goals.
As we draw near to the end of the year, I have reminded myself to take time out and rest
Why rest?
The year 2020 has taken its toll on us in so many ways we still cannot see. We have become winners over many adversities and these have had their wear and tear on the body. Rest is to help you heal, recover and plan for 2021.
REST ; (verb) to refresh oneself, as by sleeping, lying down, or relaxing. to relieve weariness by cessation of exertion or labor as defined by Dictionary.com
Taking time to REST empowers you for the next move, assignment, role, project, milestone etc. This could be short or long periods. The whole idea is giving yourself time to go somewhere quiet and refresh.
The process of Rest that I have discovered and use is;
R etreat, Refresh, Renew
E mbrace, Empower, Energise
S urrender, Seek, Sustain
T ime
Retreat, Refresh, Renew
When you decide to take a REST, you must shut down all activity and find a getaway to Retreat, Refresh and Renew your Spirit, Soul and Body. Remember we as humans are three dimensional and you must cater to each of these elements. To retreat simply means to find a secluded place all by yourself for privacy and aloneness. When you find a place of retreat, your key objective would be to refresh your body through sleep, your soul through rest and your spirit through prayer and meditation. As you sleep, the body renews itself by building strength through rest and repair. Your soul is renewed through a process of unloading emotions, dismantling notions and most importantly forgiving yourself and others. You find rest for your soul by deliberately going through a process of forgiving. Your Spirit gets renewed through prayer and mediating on words; the Word of God (for me) and reminding yourself of just how special you are (words of affirmation).
Embrace, Empower, Energize
As you pass through the 3Rs, you come to a place where it becomes imperative to embrace where you are. This I call “a moment of liberation.” Be joyful for the Journey thus far and as you do this, you empower your thought life to be open to more creativity, empower your Spirt and Soul to be receptive of the new. Find things that help the process of empowering; it could be Music, Books or even Podcasts. For me, prayer helps my empowerment process as I navigate through conversations with God and the next phase of life. It is also important that you get energized from the REST period. Do things that make you happy; taking walks, being a foodie, reading, running etc. Pamper your body, soul and spirit. You matter!!
Surrender, Seek, Sustain
You must surrender to the process of rest, how? Surrender is a form of submission. Submit completely to the process of REST. Give up all and focus on making your time out matter. Take times of rest as an essential element for good health. Whilst you surrender to the process and are going through your 3Es (Embrace, Empower, Energize), if you discover you need help; medically, spiritually, psychologically etc. please seek help. In these times where our stress levels are really high and our mental wellbeing can be adversely affected by our experiences, it is imperative to seek help if at any time you need it. Don’t be shy, it’s always helpful to your process when you can get some help. Once this help is paving the way to a happier and healthier you, please sustain this process till you are fully recovered. If you have also found the period of rest to be helpful, sustain it by deliberately closing out periods on your calendar for REST.
Time
Remember that to REST adequately, you need time, if you all you need are short periods quarterly, then by all means take it, if you need longer periods, go for it, you would be much better for it.
Written by Oge Funlola Modie
ABOUT OGE FUNLOLA MODIE
Oge is a published author, writer and speaker. She is the Editor of GetFearlessly AuthenticTM Newsletter, a personal leadership newsletter that chronicles her life as a professional. She is involved in causes for women, young people and the vulnerable. She loves to read comics, watch comedy flicks, listen to music and play golf. Shares her love threefold- Love for God, Love for People, Love for Country. www.ogemodie.com
