03/13/2023
For TNT, this is Rest Week. We take a break between each of our training seasons so we can rest and start fresh. For many families, it's also spring break. It's so important to slow down, reset. The body needs it. The mind thrives with it. While for many people, this is an entire week dedicated to taking a break, you don't have to take a week, you don't have to take a trip. You can take a nap. You can take a quiet bath. You can clear your evening one day this week so you can slow down, enjoy a sit down meal, and pause so all the days stop blurring together.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck, then you NEED to take a break. Step back. Stop forcing, stop rushing. I get it, sometimes we need to just grind and hustle because there really is so much to get done. You will burn out quickly though if you don't balance rest with all that outwardly drive. Creativity comes when we slow down. Answers we need suddenly strike when we slow down enough to listen. The body will feel better, get stronger, and lower inflammation when we step back from hard exercise. I promise, every single time someone is pushing hard in the gym to make progress, then they take a break, they always come back better. It's not magic, it's how we're built, but it certainly feels like magic because, how can taking a step back actually move the needle forward... it just does, trust the process.
Our American society doesn't allow for us to slow down. We add feelings of guilt, shame and weakness if we admit we need to slow down. Don't fall victim to that insane belief! You need sleep. You need to change routine occasionally. You need easy pace days. Especially if you're not feeling good, or low energy, or mental fog; learn to sit and listen. Don't fear the silence. Stop filling it with noise and effort. Enjoy the quiet; there's magic and answers and good feelings there.