Sometimes the best thing we can do to move forward is to stay still.
For centuries, we have always known that rest is fundamental to our success, health, and happiness. But somehow over the past few decades, and even more so with the 'hustle culture' that we Millennials are very intrigued with, more and more of us are foregoing our days of rest in exchange for more hours at the office. The ubiquitous quest for productivity has driven many of us to give up on having consistent rest days altogether.
Confession time: I haven't take a proper leave for quite a long time. And by proper, I'm referring to days where I can be with myself, my own thoughts, to analyse and recharge my mind and body fully before starting fresh. After becoming a Mother, such days seems like too much stretch, almost like a fantasy that can only be attained by highly privileged people (Even without wanting to, kids meals and their often chaotic schedules are something that is fully integrated within us Moms).
So in early 2021 when my personal life suddenly collapsed, after giving it some thoughts, I knew that I'm going to need a proper down time. Not strolling-in-a-mall or full-blown-shopping-spree downtime, but a real quiet time where I can fully release every thoughts without being scared about not replying emails in a timely manner.
I went to Bali and spend a lot of time by myself, discovering new and peaceful yoga or pilates classes while trying to nourish my body with nutritious meals in between meditations. Taking long walks near the beach before finding a place to drink cold brew and enjoying fresh oysters. Now and then chatting with the locals to ask about their days, and the impact that the pandemic brought to their business. Shifting the focus and energy to nature and other people helped me to reframed my own problems, and helps me seeing it from another perspective.
But taking a well-needed rest doesn't always mean a holiday trip. While discovering new places and activities can make ourselves and our problems seem smaller, the real 'healing' took place in my own apartment, with the help of my therapist. Journaling, reparenting, meditating and more home works I had done before my trip to Bali had laid a great foundation for my mind to be able to be at peace within my holiday trip.
The privilege of flexible working arrangement from my office also helped me with sorting out some urgent work matters that is needed to be taken care of in the midst of my holiday. Even with some days that has back-to-back zoom meetings, I was still away from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta's stressful traffic and packed errands, still providing easy breeze in between my meetings.
I came home feeling rejuvenated and ready to be as productive as I can be. Taking some time off gives me the space to really assess how things are going on at work, and make adjustments as necessary. Without taking the time to reflect, I run the risk of maintaining work habits or structures that aren’t actually efficient. A rest day is also a good time to celebrate my accomplishments and refresh my sense of purpose so that I return to work with renewed motivation to get things done.
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