Typically, I write about philosophical or poetic concerns that have titillated my mind during the past week or so; however, this week I have realized something very important: I am tired. Another way to say it is if I were music, then I would be beat, flat on my bass. Puns aside, I am not writing to complain about my troubles and workload, but instead because I know that I am not alone. I am not the only person overworked, nor am I not the only person overworking their self.
In the past have written about drive and the splendors of possessing persistence. I think we all know that this comes at a cost -- though mighty is the victor's spoils. The cost is stress, and the debtor is the mind and body. The spirit does not suffer except that stress can create a disjoint between the person and spirit. So, the sacrifice goes... but this does not mean that it has to create turbulence to one's life.
Stress is a natural part of life. If we go into nature, we can see how the river used erosion and weathering to create a beautiful flow of that which is precious to life. There are rivers that have worn away their area through too much stress, and other that have succeeded in maintaining a wonderful balance. This is what I want to talk about today: balance in work and life -- particularly with respect to sleep!
It seems difficult to be the river that is in harmony with its surroundings rather than flowing rampantly. With rivers, we can note that nature adjusts around the flow of the river. This is true in our lives as well. Those of with fast-paced stressful lives will find that their world does not move slowly and that their interactions with people will follow suit. They will not be able to sleep as fully as they would like to because they are always in a hurry. Here lies the problem, one that has plagued man throughout its existence.
There are not enough hours in the day, nor are there enough days in the week. So, how do we deal with this? Personally, I persevere through many commitments and give my best in all of them, but I have had to accept that I am not Hercules. I cannot do it all, nor can I do it all by myself. I have limits just like all other men. The easy thing to do with this realization is to ignore it. Go out and forget about it, or just keeping working through it. Join the club of those that push themselves to the limit daily and cope with drinking coffee or what have you. I am writing this article to tell you that these methods do not work, and will, in fact, worsen the situation.
I know many people that have tried these options, as well as being their victim myself. The result is always a shrugging at the fact of being exhausted and stressed. So, how can we overcome this challenge? Well, it is not easy, but I think that the place to begin goes back to sacrificing. Yes, there will be days where powering through the sleep deprivation is the only way to maintain balance in life. May grace meet you when that is the case. But when it is not, I have found that a person must allow themselves time to rest. Any instrument or tool that worked at the rate Americans are used to is surely a tool that would break with a relatively low longevity. All tools must be taken care of and given the proper time to rest.
My suggestion is to block out time in the day to nap. Crazy & immature, right? Not in the least. I did it today before writing this article. Before my nap, I could barely keep my attention on the world around me. My mind works overtime and is constantly in motion. If I don't allow it time to rest and recuperate, then I know that I will wear it away. Stress works just like that. Despite numerous projects being on my plate, I had to rest so that when I awoke I could have the strength to persevere clear-headed.
My friends, I encourage you to do the same. Make time for naps; otherwise, go to bed early whenever possible. Get the rest that your body needs. Without it, you are only wearing yourself down faster and creating disharmony around you. In business, we move fast. That is not the problem; instead, the problem is thinking that the world must always move so rapidly. Make time to slow down and remember that you are a human being with needs.
Don't just rest, but make time to drink tea. The British are so clever for taking time out of their day just to enjoy a cup of tea as a community. We should do the same. Madeline Geffart, one of my colleagues, wrote about the Meyers-Briggs types last week. As an INFJ, I can tell you that my inferior function is Extroverted Sensing. What this means is that I am liable to lose sight of the present as I plan for the future, spending too much of my time engaged in working. This function dictates that I allow myself time away from all of that. My advice to everyone (because all people have this function though it is in a different standing) is to take an hour out of the day just to be a person and enjoy something simple. Read a book, exercise, take a hot bath, spend time with your loved ones, whatever will grant some form of rest and recreation. The trick is to just do it, rather than forgetting that the person has a commitment to their self. A damned river cannot flow (and of course rivers are clever enough to not dam themselves).
This is where it all lies. We all have numerous and ever-occurring commitments to fulfill and work to get done; however, we often forget the commitment to ourselves. To take care of the body and the mind. To nurture ourselves so that we are able to do our best rather than to just get things done. If we prioritize efficiency only, then we neglect thoroughness. Without throughness, problems can be expected. This can all be avoided by simply caring for one's self just as one would care for their loved one. After all, loving one's self is the first step to loving another.
Make the time to enjoy life by simply resting. Take care of your body & mind; honour the commitments you make, but never forget that you have on to yourself. Keep persevering and conquering the challenges of every-day life, but do not be like the car that runs out of gas. If a car does not refuel, then it will go no place and is useless. Maintain thy purpose, but never sacrifice life for the sake of efficiency. Finally. remember to not get caught up in yourself. Do not allow priority to shift from perseverance of goals and challenges to perseverance of avoiding goals and challenges. Maintain the harmony that balances stress and recreation. Do not try to live without either, for you surely fail.
