Ooh, after the “work ethic” question earlier this week, it’s time for your rest ethic.
What is it?
Do you think you deserve rest… or do you struggle with the whole concept?
One thing I’ve realised since being diagnosed with ADHD is the expectation around work and rest, and how we “should” react to it.
I struggle to relax, to just stop. In fact, I can’t stop.
If I do nothing for an entire Saturday morning, by lunchtime I feel like crap: guilty, filled with shame, spoiling for an argument of some kind, feeling like I am wasting my life.
Part of that is to do with the bullshit of this version of capitalism and the protestant work ethic, I’m sure.
But I’ve discovered something else. If I schedule my weekends as tightly as I schedule my working days, and plan “chilling out” into it—I’m fine.
How weird is that?
Or maybe not so weird, given that my entire life falls apart with routine and structure. Makes sense that I’d need to schedule rest into it too.
It’s not such a bad idea for neurotypical people, either. Try it. Schedule rest time into your day, and then take it.
Set a timer for 5 minutes, and write about how that idea makes you feel.
Happy writing!
TTFN,
Vicky
p.s.Connect with me on Instagram and share your experience with the community. Share your writing if you want to—we’d love to read it! Tag @tinybeetlesteps and follow the hashtags #moxieJULY and #tinybeetlesteps
p.p.s. If Instagram isn’t your thing, you can also find me on LinkedIn and Twitter, and use those hashtags there too!
Notes in the Margin
Sign up below for regular emails on creative writing, indie publishing, and the wonders of books.