We now are more than one year into a global health crisis that has left many of us feeling emotionally exhausted. We have become tired of being in lockdown, tired of not being able to spend time in person with family and friends, tired of having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us have found ourselves without employment and so have been busying ourselves at home with tasks, to-do lists and projects. All of this may have left you feeling physically and emotionally exhausted.

When our minds and bodies become exhausted, it can be difficult to enjoy life. We may lose interest in doing things that once brought us pleasure. When this happens, it may be time to stop and listen to your mind and body. Is it time to take a break? Is it time for you to rest? For so many people, giving yourself permission to rest can be very challenging. Some of us feel as though we are “lazy” if we simply stop working on our projects, checking off things on our to-do lists or completing tasks. And while that word “lazy” has only four letters, it can seem like a big word with heavy connotations. What does it mean to be or feel lazy? Does that say something about who you are as a person? What does it mean if you take a break, listen to your mind and body and simply rest?

During this pandemic, I have worked with several people who feel as though they must be constantly productive, particularly if they are not working at the moment. Some of these people are finding themselves just as exhausted as if they were working a regular 40-hour-per-week job. What causes that need to feel constantly productive? Why must we feel as though we must always be busy? What happens if we just take some time to just be? What happens if we stop the glorification of busy?

The need to feel constantly productive can leave us feeling as though we are not good enough, never doing enough, never accomplishing enough. That feeling of never enough ultimately can take a toll on your mental health, leaving you with a feeling of being less than if you are not constantly accomplishing something. Perhaps it is time to fight back against that feeling and give yourself permission to take a break, a likely much-deserved break. This pandemic has taken a toll on all of us. It is perfectly okay to stop working on tasks and projects and to rest. We all need rest. We all deserve rest, both physical rest and emotional rest. Your mind and body will tell you when it is time to take a break, if you slow down and take the time to listen to it.

Some of us find it challenging to slow down and to rest because we are afraid of what might happen if we do so. What happens if you stop and listen to your mind and body? Will you be overcome with unwanted thoughts, feelings or emotions? What happens if you allow yourself to sit with those thoughts, feelings and emotions? What happens if you allow those thoughts, feelings and emotions to come and accept them without judgement? What happens if you stop being busy long enough to hear what your mind and body are trying to tell you? What happens if you allow yourself to rest?

Resting allows us an opportunity to get in touch with what we really are thinking and feeling. For some, doing so may seem frightening as staying busy can help keep unwanted thoughts and feelings at bay. It is okay to sit with those thoughts and feelings, so that you may better come to know yourself and what you need. If we do not listen to our thoughts and feelings, our needs can go unmet. And if our needs go unmet, our physical and mental health can suffer. What can you do to take some time to rest? Can you give yourself permission to just be? Can you give yourself permission to listen to your mind and body, determine your needs and meet them yourself? Can you give yourself permission to rest?