Stepping back from the busyness of life!

“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” ~ Brené Brown

January is always an interesting month to navigate. Post-festive season - often the worst of the weather in the in some parts of the - and the psychology of a New Year playing into our mood. 

Many people love this time of year, but many find it very difficult. For example, the rather unhelpful ‘Blue Monday’ phenomenon suggesting that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. 

I am somewhere in the middle. I find the limited light and time spent indoors challenging, but equally find myself enjoying the excuse to live a bit slower and be a bit more ‘idle’. It is an interesting duality to investigate within oneself - the drive to be ‘busy’ yet the desire to live slower, and the potential guilt when when we are not ‘busy’ all the time. As Brené Brown fittingly said: “It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” 

I’m very fortunate with my chosen work and current life rhythm that I do have time to incorporate rest and play, but there is no doubt that it’s easier for some to detach themselves from their professional lives and personal lives than others. But it was not always easy to admit at the beginning, I remember distinctly saying I was ‘busy’ as I saw it as a reflection of my success and achievement. However, I then made a point of always being honest when I wasn’t that busy and the surprise at this admission on some people’s faces was fascinating. Can we not usefully allow for fallow periods in our life? When we give ourselves time to restore and not be over stimulated with the usual ‘busyness’ of life. As John O’Donohue so aptly says: "we are so busy managing our lives, we forget this great mystery we are involved in.” 

So perhaps January is the perfect time to let go of the busyness of life, listen to the rhythms of your body and, if you can, take time to slow down and restore before the emergence of spring.