Difficulty Relaxing? Rest Is PRODUCTIVE
TLDR: Rest is PRODUCTIVE and an essential part of your daily routine. Take frequent breaks.
Do you have difficulty relaxing after work or during your days off? Go! Go! Go! GO! GO!
That’s how my brain functioned for my entire life. If I wasn’t “productive”, I was a failure… lazy… wasting time.
The immense guilt that I felt after having an “off” day was crippling.
Just RELAX! But I couldn’t… no matter how tired I felt.
Dishes. Laundry. Vacuum. Mop. Shower. Declutter.
Work Monday to Friday and spend the entire weekend cleaning.
It never ended. I was burnt out, irritable, and exhausted.
Some days I would find myself sitting on the couch, scrolling through social media or online shopping. For HOURS.
From an outside perspective, it would appear that I am “relaxing”, but my body and mind was far from resting.
My brain was overactive - creating lists of chores to be done, brainstorming things I needed to buy, negative self-talk and guilting me for sitting.
JUST GET UP! I can’t. I can’t move. What’s wrong with me?
I now know that this experience is called “ADHD Paralysis”.
I am not lazy. I am not a failure. I am not unmotivated. My brain was overwhelmed.
So how do I get out of this vicious cycle. One sentence: Rest is PRODUCTIVE!
Read that again. Rest is productive.
I am still learning traditional relaxation methods (yoga, breathing, take a walk),
but I will share the strategies and knowledge that have helped me over the past 8 months.
Creating a space where I can relax.
I know this is easier said than done, but it changed my body’s ability to rest.
I have chosen my living room as my space. It is the first thing you see when you walk in our home.
If there is visible clutter or mess, my brain will NOT allow me to rest after work. I think about it over and over and over.
So…. I set a goal for myself to keep the living room tidy.
I added some fake greenery and LED candles that automatically turn on.
I allow myself to rest after work or if I am feeling extra tired that day. I remind myself that it’s okay to rest.
“Don’t put it down, put it away.” -Unknown.
Every few days, I look around the main floor of the house and put away the little things that have gotten left out during the week.
Of course, best practice would be to put things away immediately after using them.
But let’s be realistic, that doesn’t always happen. And that’s okay!
When everything has a “spot” in your home, putting things away becomes easier and faster.
For me, having a clean space was essential for my body to relax.
Chronotype: Follow the natural energy flow of your body!
Learn about it here: https://youtu.be/I7QUsN0Xitc
Summary of the video: You’ve heard of an early bird or night owl. When are you most productive?
I was usually most productive in the early morning. I had the most energy and could work on my to-do list.
But around noon, I crashed. Mid-task. Paralysis. Guilt.
Then after dinner, I would get this burst of energy and I was insanely productive.
Did you know there’s a third type of chronotype? It’s called biphasic.
What I learned is that it is so important to follow your body’s natural energy flow.
For biphasic chronotype people, we have energy in the morning and evening with a rest mid-day.
I built my daily schedule around allowing myself to rest mid-day to re-energize.
This allowed me to be more productive while adding frequent breaks to my routine.
Listen to your body.
Change the way we think about rest.
Rest is PRODUCTIVE.
Self-Reflection - I wrote this blog entry in February 2023. I had all good intentions of starting a blog several times to share my personal journey. It always ended the same… staring at a blank screen… becoming frustrated. The RSD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria) would kick in and I’d shut down before starting. Not anymore! This is happening! Just a side note, does anyone else’s brain get louder when they try quiet relaxation exercises like yoga or square breathing? My brain gets SO LOUD and my anxiety sky-rockets! I have a theory that this intense reaction is due to “thought streaming” and the buzzing, constant noise in my subconscious. More on experience to follow.
Engagement: Let’s crush the RSD! If you’re reading this, send some love by hitting the like button at the top of the page or writing a comment below. Do you like my writing style? Does the use of italics and bold help you read easier? Do you have or suspect you have ADHD and/or anxiety?
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With love,
Alysha
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