Rest is a fundamental part of health, happiness and success.
Rest helps us heal the body, boost creativity, reduce stress, improve productivity, and enhance decision making.
Take short naps throughout the day.
Close your eyes & take some deep breaths.
Take your eyes off the screen for awhile (phone, laptop…).
Connect with nature.
“Rest and self care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brown
For me, this quote is deep-rooted (no pun intended) in my life motto.
At 15, I wasn’t performing well academically and didn’t like the school where I was at, so I asked my parents to move me to another school – in Australia. That shook things up and I had no choice but trying my hardest to study English and a whole new system.
Last year, I was part of a volunteering team where I was disrespected and humiliated in front of many people by my supervisor. We were meant to work together as a team. I left the next day after telling them how I felt.
My brother and I went to see a movie where the people behind us were talking loudly. We’d politely asked them to keep the noise down and they continued to talk to each other. So we moved to the front where it was quiet – after checking to make sure that the seats were available.
At times it feels like we have no choice but staying in the same job that we don’t enjoy for many years, being in the same living condition that is uncomfortable, having the same circle of friends that we’ve grown out of, speaking up for ourselves and others etc. We are afraid of leaving as we fear of the unknown or people might judge us.
But we always have a choice – a choice to be happy in doing what we want in life!
My options: 1. wishing the weather was better 2. listen to the rain.
I choose the second.
In life, there are things that we can control e.g., how we feel about the situation & things that we cannot control e.g., the weather.
Fussing over things that we can’t control brings on frustration.
Learning to breathe and manage how we feel about the circumstances puts us in charge.
Last week, it also rained. A child turned up to my clinic for his speech lesson in his rain boots. “I’m ready to jump in some puddles after this.” he said.
Covid life has been tough. Here are 20 life lessons that I’ve learnt since the start of the pandemic:
1. Appreciate every little thing (eg, toilet paper )
2. Traveling is a privilege.
3. The value of a warm hug or a handshake.
4. Self-care is a priority.
5. Enjoy the present moment as the future can be uncertain.
6. Everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Be kind. Always!
7. Laugh and cry. It’s ok to cry. That’s how we came into this world.
8. Eating out is a joy.
9. Having time-out is good for the mind and body.
10. Stay positive.
11. Slow down and breathe.
12. Be creative. Being shut indoors for months has reignited some old hobbies that I haven’t had time to practice such as learning Japanese and painting.
13. Never stop learning. Having the extra time means more time for learning a new skill.
14. Be flexible with work. Most of my speech pathology lessons are now delivered online.
15. Stay close to nature. It’s healing and good for our well-being.
16. Support yourself first, so that you can support others.
17. Make plans but stay flexible when circumstances change.
18. Adapt to the new “normal” – regular hand washing and checking in at venues
19. Love your friends and family.
20. Finally, masks can come in different colours and styles – pick your favorite and roll with it
)
Binh Doan 