This Is Your Permission Slip

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My friend called me yesterday to tell me that they had been hearing my voice in their head all day, telling them that it’s okay to rest, and that what they really needed to do was just sit the fuck down.

Nothing else has brought me quite as much joy as this, because I know how some days it feels like the tasks are never-ending and you need a permission slip to rest. If you’re here reading this, we’re basically friends now, so if you also want or need someone to let you know it’s okay to rest, consider this your permission slip, dear reader.

Ease is at the core of all my messaging, and while I do wholeheartedly believe that adaptive systems implemented in your business can indeed help you focus on what you love doing, I think it can be really easy to forget that ease is something we deserve in every aspect of our lives, not just in business.

My friend has a really hard time sitting still (👋🏼 ADHD), and I tell her often that rest can be like meditation–you don’t have to struggle to sit still for ten minutes if you know that doesn’t work for you. The point is to clear your mind and intentionally separate yourself from your thoughts. If you can do that while walking, or playing a simple video game, or while working on your latest craft project, then congrats! You’ve meditated!

There’s an important caveat here that your body might actually be telling you that you do need to sit down, but rest can just as easily be creative, emotional, or sensory based instead of physical.

Sitting down and reading my favorite book, no matter how many times I’ve read it before, feels like slipping into my coziest blanket and allows me to let go of any and everything that might be bothering me. Going for a walk or taking the time to create something just for fun can get me out of my head and into my body, letting my mind and my anxieties rest. Sometimes all I need to feel better is to lay down, close my eyes, and put earplugs in for fifteen minutes.

These activities might not look the way you expect rest to look like, but I hope you’re beginning to see that letting go of your expectations and instead centering on your unique needs means you’re allowed to do things that work for you! So often we get caught up in the “should”s and unconscious expectations, and that’s why my favorite part of the work I do is just sitting down and asking “why?” before I cross out any permission slip I’ve previously given myself.

If this message resonated with you at all, please reply and tell me how you’re going to use this permission slip and give yourself time to rest this week.

Restfully and Respectfully yours,

Ela

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