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Immaculata Projects's avatar

there were outings, yes. There were free times here and there, ‘free time’ being time outside tasks allocated by parents. But there were pressures that just meant I hardly remember resting as a child. there was always school homework to do, and I found it very difficult to not be ‘a good girl’ so I was always doing something and berating myself for not doing enough lol. There was hanging out with friends (to do homework together sha 😂) and there was alone time too here and there which I remember fondly. But all in all, just a lot of pressure (internal & external) and lack of peace.

Certainly I entered adulthood with this wiring. And before long, I started breaking down so things had to change. These days I value and prioritise rest in all its forms, sleep o, alone time o, playing, etc. or even just shifting rooms in my head. I remember living in proximity with a friend who took weekends off completely and seeing that it didn’t take away from his productivity and wellbeing but rather supported the quality of his life. Seeing him as an example helped me so much. And before long, I made the commitment to myself to keep my weekends work-free.

While prioritising rest has gotten easier, sure there are still sometimes work seeps in and I get very ferocious about it 😂. Like if it is me making myself work in the weekend, I must compensate by treating myself or nobody is getting sleep in the house (of my head). It’s a choice I have to make everyday to make out time for rest, and to include rest/faffing around/recovery time when planning my schedule.

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Immaculata Projects's avatar

Also, I couldn’t help myself. For anyone reading this, shameless plug: I run a magazine of reflections on how we grapple with everyday stress in our lives.

restful.substack.com

🫧

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