Rest & Play

During your time off, are you REALLY resting or actually just dissociating? 

More often than not, people use “resting” to mean “bed rotting” and “doomscrolling” and “binging on a show”. While I too love a good binge every now and then, and catch myself scrolling more than I want to, I think it’s important to talk about real rest, the kind that can come through true connection and play.

In the wise words of Jenny T. Wang:

“Rest is restorative and replenishing while we remain fully present, and it connects us more deeply to our current experience. Dissociation, on the other hand, is a form of avoidance that disconnects us from the present moment and intentional awareness. It distracts rather than restores. It numbs our senses and dulls our minds instead of making us more attuned and aware of our current experience.”

What if we refueled regularly and lived out of a place of rest instead of putting vacation on a pedestal? What if grind culture is not benefiting people as much as we used to pretend it was?

Something wildly underrated is the necessity of PLAY for mental health. We’re not talking about dolls here (unless that’s your thing, you do you). Here are some examples of play:

• making something (writing, sculpting, painting, etc.)

• going to a live performance

• playing a sport

• making music with others

• traveling somewhere new (locally counts!)

• playing cards, tabletop games, board games

Basically, anything you do for the pure enjoyment of it (forget the outcome!) is PLAY. Engaging in play gives your nervous system a chance to rest and regulate, I don’t know if I can talk it up enough.

What is something small that you’ve been putting off? The kind of thing your soul has been craving, but you’ve been putting it off because you’re REALLY important and have soooo much to do (yes, I am making fun of you, but I’m making fun of myself too). I encourage you to prioritize at least five minutes of *that thing* this week.

I hope you get out there and play today! (: