 “It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol” -Brene Brown Hi Friends!
Here I am with the blog post for April. I didn't get around to posting another blog during last month which was more of an announcement about me only posting a blog once per month moving forward. Just in case I didn't mention the main reason for that, it is because I need to practice more of what I preach - Make Yourself Your Priority. One of the ways I'm doing that is making time for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. With that said, let's talk about rest. Our bodies are designed to rest. There is a natural rhythm of waking and sleeping that triggers our bodies into resting and rejuvenating. Most people don’t deny themselves time to sleep, but many aren’t getting enough sleep or proper sleep for that matter. Being physically tired is a definite sign that we need to rest, but there are many ways that we can become tired. While sleep is a common form of rest, there are also different sorts of rest that help restore energy. The problem is, we live in a culture that doesn’t make rest a priority. Many people are so tired, that they can't function at their best, but they don’t believe there is anything they can do about it. These days people are expected to work like they don’t have families and spend time with their family like they don’t have to work. It’s pretty much impossible to be all things to all people and not become utterly exhausted - but we try anyway. Here are some facts: #1- If you don’t stand up for your right to rest, no one will. #2 - Making rest a priority in a busy world must start with you; and fact #3 - Those around you must learn to accept and accommodate your healthy boundaries. Rest Can Feel Like an Indulgence Since we live in a world that glorifies being busy, it’s hard to imagine resting as being responsible. Taking time off, doing nothing in particular, having no plans, or intentionally making plans to unplug and refresh seems indulgent. That’s a sad commentary on our culture. Recovering from exhaustion or preventing it altogether is nothing to feel guilty about! Yet we do feel guilty. I recently revealed to one of my best friends that I would no longer be working 10-12 hour days and would begin working only 5-10 hours per week. My friend is a busy mother, psychologist, life coach, professor, and wife, so I felt not only guilty, but ridiculous for having the audacity to state such a thing, let alone do it. However, I am also a busy mother, psychologist, life coach, et cetera, et cetera. I know that I alone am responsible for my health, and resting is necessary to facilitate good health and a happy life, which makes it a priority. Making rest a priority in a world that diminishes its benefits can feel like going against the grain. You’ve got to stand up for yourself and your family and integrate rest into your routine despite the normalcy to be busy. Setting boundaries and limits can help. Learning to incorporate rest into your routine will help keep your mind, body, and spirit from becoming weary. Encouraging others to rest and restore - as well as prevent exhaustion - will help ensure they are functioning at their best, too. Failure to rest can lead to illness, injury, or worse - none of which improves quality of life. Make rest a part of your routine regardless of how it’s perceived so you can be sure to have the stamina, enthusiasm, and brainpower to live your best life. Be audacious and make the time to rest!
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 Hey Hey Hey! It’s me, Cheryl, coming to you with my first blog post of the year 2022.
I have been contemplating whether or not to continue posting a blog article every week or not. Until making a final decision, I just could not bring myself to post anything. I have since decided that I will continue writing blog articles for my site, however, it will not be every week anymore. I want to devote more of my time to actually working with clients via groups and online courses (more on that to come another time). Therefore, I feel that the most I should commit to at this time is writing an article at just once a month. So there you have it. Once a Month I will post a blog article. If you really like the articles I post and feel that once per month is not enough for you, don’t fret, because quite honestly it’s not enough for me either. To be clear, I am stating that you can depend on me to post at least one article per month, but there will be times that I post more often, because sometimes I just wanna say something. Blogs to follow may not be very long, sometimes just a check-in or a thought to share, but it will be interesting. So until next time, stay tuned here for the next blog and for more of my energy, follow me on the ‘gram - Instagram that it. https://www.instagram.com/cefbcoaching/  How satisfied do you feel with your life? There's a fairly good chance that your answer will depend on when you are asked. You may feel incredibly content at some points, but there are days where you feel so low you wish you could change everything. You will probably find that your answer is content when you have been engaging in an activity that you enjoy or you have just enjoyed a delicious meal, a great time with friends, or something of a similar happiness boost. We tend to savor those types of feelings simply because we are unsettled and restless as a whole. We tend to long for something in life that we just can't seem to grasp. Satisfaction is simply being happy with your life. It doesn't just exist in a moment, it encompasses your past, present, future, and when you look at the big picture. Why is it that we struggle so much to feel satisfied with our present? There are a few things that can make a serious difference to your happiness and satisfaction levels. Perhaps these could help you improve your satisfaction levels with life. Friendships Having a few close friends can give your life satisfaction a 19% boost (100 Simple Secrets Of The Best Half Of Life, David Niven). Even better, if you have a good relationship with your neighbors it can increase your life satisfaction by 16% and beyond that, it can reduce your risk of loneliness by 25%! Spirituality & Religion While religion isn't for everyone, many people report feeling deeper life satisfaction when they believe in something bigger than themselves. It isn't the belief or the religion that you belong to. What increases your happiness is the sense of community that religion provides. It also helps that these types of relationships are built on common values and a core purpose, which is a good foundation to get started on. Additionally, the magic number of friends for life satisfaction tends to be 10, which means religion is a good place to build your core friend group. If religion isn't for you then seek your spiritual community elsewhere – whether it's in a yoga class, a hiking group, or meeting weekly with a group of friends. Volunteering It's not all about what friends can provide you though, giving can be equally as powerful. Consider getting involved with your community and volunteer. If you work with young people, you can expect to be four times more satisfied with your life than someone chasing money. Your Life Story You can increase your life satisfaction by recording your life story. It's all about what types of stories you tell yourself about you and your life. Having a firm grasp of your family history can also increase your life satisfaction. Kids who have heard the stories about their ancestors feel a greater sense of control over life and have higher levels of self-esteem. Set Goals People who set and strive to achieve their goals are almost 20% more satisfied in life than those who don't. Additionally, being passionate about something improves your life satisfaction and psychological adjustment. You don't need to set a goal to become the President, to become a millionaire, or to win a Grammy. Minor successes produce the same boost in life satisfaction as the major ones. So, set clear achievable goals for yourself and when you achieve one, set another. Learning and growth don't end when you graduate high school, college, or finally get that promotion you've been wanting. It's a continuous process and one you should continue to strive for to maintain your life satisfaction. If you don't feel satisfied with your life start asking yourself what areas you feel are letting you down. If you're longing for more – go out there and get it! |
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