Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
– John Lubbock
Summer is here! My favorite summer memories are connected to an old family cabin in the Warner wilderness, a little-known area of northeastern California. There, I spent mornings and evenings fly-fishing with my father on beautiful mountain streams, went for walks in the pines, took naps, played in a leaky old boat on a nearby pond, and enjoyed breakfasts of fresh trout, biscuits and wild watercress. The water in the cabin came from a nearby spring and there was no phone or internet. It was truly a time of rest and play, and although I didn’t know it at the time, it was medicine for my body and soul. It shaped my childhood and my love of the outdoors.
Research shows that rest and play are essential to our well-being, especially in times of transition and in the second half of life when we are not as young as we used to be. Rest and play restore our spirit, build our brain, restore our immune system, our creativity, vitality, and sense of hope and positivity.
Our western culture is so productivity centered, that time in rest and play can make us feel guilty, unproductive, or lazy. Don’t let that win the day. Vacations and holidays are great and sometimes when we’re having a tough day, we just need to let go, spend unstructured time with loved ones, get a good night’s sleep, and start again with a fresh outlook in the morning. If you’re a productivity junkie, just read the previous paragraph again and do some research on the internet for the facts that back up just how productive rest and play really are!
So, frolic, romp, nap, hang out, smell the fresh cut grass, stare up at the stars, spend time playing with loved ones, picnic in the park, watch the clouds float by, listen to the wind in the trees…Enjoy
Sabrina Roblin, CPCC, a former executive and co-founder of Life Reinspired, is happily enjoying her best chapter of life. She now helps others do the same. Schedule a free Life Reinspired Strategy Session or email info@lifereinspired.com to learn more.
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