Rest Days Then and Now

Rest days. We all need rest days in one way, shape, form, or another.

Sometimes, I sit and think about it, and I am sure that rest days should be compulsory for everyone. We work hard, and some of us play hard. I think that rest is underrated and that more of us should be getting more of them.

When rest isn't really rest

Rest days used to look so different for me; I would need them to keep me from working out all week and pushing myself further and further every day. I was used to working out, working long days and long nights.   

Resting would come in the form of just moving slower and staying indoors, getting my housework done and up to date. Technically, I guess it was not resting, but at the time, it sure seemed like it. I do not think I ever rested like I should have when I was doing this, and I wish I had known better.

Psoriatic arthritis came into my life around 20, like a wrecking ball (as it does). For a while, I could carry on like I had been. I lived and worked out and pushed through on the hard days.

Man, oh man, how I wish I had not done that. If I knew then what I know now. Alas, a good couple of years later, I was no longer able to push through much.

My PsA and psoriasis would start demanding rest days and a much slower pace of life. Fast forward some more years and a lot of experience, and life looks even more slow than before.

Resting with PsA

Rest days are now not just some kind of luxury; they are a necessity for functioning. If I have overexerted myself after a busy week or long day,  I often pay for it with an acute and very painful flare, top-tier fatigue, and just low spirits in general.

However, I have also learned to rest and enjoy it; I no longer see it as a punishment. With age and experience comes wisdom, too. Thank goodness for that.

So now rest days look different for me. I stay at home, have a hot shower or bath, and set myself up for the day. I make sure I have some nutritious food. soup is often my go-to during these resting periods.

I get my favorite comfortable loungewear or PJs and set up some series and an audiobook. It sounds silly to some, but these days, I cannot even hold a book up to read, so I am deeply grateful for audiobooks.

Prioritizing mental rest

Equally important to physical rest is a mental break, too. So, I give social media a rest; I think I spend too much time there anyway.

I do not journal, I do not write, and I try as much as possible not to think. Given my ADHD, though, that is a near impossibility. All of that aside, though, I make a concerted effort to switch off from everything.

Taking a proper break is so important. Whether you listen to music, sit in the sunshine, or lie in your bed and nap on and off all day. Do what works for you, and embrace it.

Remember how important rest is; listen to your body and mind, and rest. Take the time out that you need, cancel the party or the lunch if you must, and look after yourself first.

After all, it is true what they say, you cannot pour from an empty cup.