Rest, R
echarge & Reset.
What does it look like to make time for rest during the winter months and the rest of the year to come?
In the depths of winter when the days are shorter and the nights longer, I feel the desire to tuck in and cozy up at home. Winter seems to do this to me, as the cold and often dreary weather makes being at home seem so much more inviting.
This seems to be the natural progression of things. Nature’s natural tendency is to go dormant during the winter. Bears hibernate, bees are in their hive and plants die out or hibernate in preparation of their spring debut. As a Christian, I believe it’s also biblical. After all, God rested on the 7th day of creation.
After the Holidays
After the busyness of the holiday season, I find I’m ready and needing to rest. The holidays were so busy. Here at Maid For You in Warminster, Pennsylvania, we pushed for a year-end goal of having 240 customers, and almost hit it, we were sending out holiday cards to our valued clients, spoiling our staff with pies and goodies from Bake Ability in Buckingham, PA and holding our staff holiday party. In my personal life, I was Christmas shopping, attending Church service, and decorating, and while it’s all lovely, it can also leave you tired and in need of a recharge.
I need to recharge! Do you?
As the winter continues, I think it’s vital to recharge, reset and take time to rest. This looks different for everyone.
My favorite ways to rest, reset and recharge are simple, but life-giving.
Rest
I sleep in as much as possible! It’s a go, go, go world, and our bodies need that extra rest. The longer nights make it natural to sleep and feel more tired. Take a nap! It’s the best time of year to do so. If we don’t take care of our bodies early by choice, we’ll be forced to do so later by illness.
Keep It Simple
I’m keeping my meal plans simple, taking a break from get-togethers for a few weeks and saying ‘no’ to anything not necessary.
Be in Community
I’m attending worship service. One of the most essential ways to recharge is spiritually. Some of us are worshiping online, others in person, but that time with The Almighty is key to fuel your spirit. Being in community with others, especially a church family is something that refills us spiritually and emotionally.
If you’re not a churchgoer, look at who you can connect with personally. That in-person connection really is vital. We’re created to be social creatures.
Evaluate How You’ll Put Your Goals Into Action
I’m evaluating my 2023 goals. At the New Year, we often make big lofty goals when we’re riding high on the feeling of ‘new.’ But after a few weeks when the dust settles and the motivation wears off, you have to pause and evaluate. What’s really important to you in 2023? Take time to sit down, think about what you want to do, and what you’re actually willing to do. If you’re not willing to do the work to achieve a goal, you’ll mentally beat yourself up when you don’t do it. I’m reaching a huge business goal, and it’s taken multiple years of setting it to achieve it. It feels good! But now that we’re reaching it, (big thanks to our incredible clients and employees) I’ve got to reevaluate what needs done, and I’m streamlining my business systems.
Maybe a goal of yours is to have more time as a couple or a family. Where can you cut things to achieve that time? Do the kids need and want to be in a zillion extracurriculars? Or can those go? Maybe it’s time to cut out an hour or two of TV time a week to go on a walk with a friend or loved one. What about cleaning? Shameless plug here, if you’re not using a cleaning service, we can help you get back HOURS each week or month by cleaning your home regularly. Visit our website for a quote.
The idea though is to look at your true willingness, and then craft some simple habits around how you’re going to implement those as the year progresses.
Be Present
One of the things that can be the most draining, is always being distracted and focused on too much at once. Screens and social media are one of the biggest culprits of this. Many people go on a social media detox in January. That may or may not be for you, (you can still do it in February!) but I challenge you to stay off social media for a week, and don’t multitask. When you’re watching tv, truly be present, don’t be on your phone or computer. We make our brains SO tired when we’re overly plugged in. Maybe take it a step further and when you would normally sit down to watch something, read a book or enjoy a hobby. I think you’ll be surprised by how much this recharges you.
I’d love to hear which of these things spoke to you! Let us know by contacting us on the website or message us on Instagram.