We need pleasure and regeneration, too.
“You can’t draw water from an empty well” or “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
I’m pretty sure you’ve seen these two sentences around the web so many times that they give you the ick now.
However, they make completely sense.
Also, though, they tend to make us assume that the missing water represents rest.
What if I told that I think rest is not enough?
OMG, Giada! I’ve just become able to allow myself to rest without guilt or shame thoughts lingering around; now what??!
Wait.
Rest is good.
Rest it key.
Rest, sleep especially, is essential for our brain and body to restore, recalibrate, clean up, and regenerate.
However, I’ve come to believe that we also need other regenerative activities alongside rest to prevent exhaustion and burnout.
Activities that can give you the right amount of stimulation at the right time.
Activities that differ from person to person and from time to time, too.
Activities, though, that usually fall outside the realm of the “shoulds” and are something you enjoy and do just for the sake of it.
Many of my clients brought up in session the fact that they felt rested but “not so creative/energetic/excited.”
I myself feel this way sometimes.
When my clients dug deeper, they found out that something was missing from the picture. They decided to experiment and discovered that they needed rest and [insert pleasurable activity here].
I decided to experiment, too and found that being outside in nature (with the smallest amount of noisy human beings around) is my key regenerative activity.
Of course, I need to rest, sleep well, and engage in other pleasurable activities, but if I want to clear my head and restore my energy, creativity, and well-being, I need to be outside in nature at least once a week. When I can’t go outside, I listen to nature sounds and meditate with them for a few minutes to ground myself and regenerate my cognitive capacity.
What about you? Have you noticed that you need rest and?
With care,
Giada
What are your key regenerative activities?
I’d love to know!
🗂️ Open Tabs
Stuff I kept thinking about or still open in my browser
I’ve been working on my upcoming coaching program and focused almost only on it. At some point, I thought it was ready to share, then revised it for the most part to add a key missing element!
This meant working hard and long hours, and I didn’t have much capacity to enjoy intellectually stimulating content. So, I took refuge in many TV series (Acapulco, Dark Matter, Presumed Innocent, and Pretty Little Liars: Summer School) and a novel that so far feels more than “just” a cozy fantasy: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
Work with me!
Hello! I’m Giada (Jah-da, more or less), an Impact Coach who blends coaching and neuroscience to empower change agents to turn their impactful vision into action and contribute to collective well-being while feeling good and not burning out in the process. Sounds interesting? Let’s have a chat!