Yesterday, I declared today would be a mental health day for me.

Last week was hard. Last week was heavy. And I was starting to feel depleted. The kids are back in school after a year and a half of being at home and it feels like our lives have moved from relaxed to full speed ahead.

It’s been a big adjustment.

Years ago, I would have pushed on and not allowed myself the space, or the time, to rest.

Time could not be wasted. There was always just too much to do.

I didn’t understand, or appreciate, the value and importance of rest. And I think I placed an unhealthy value on productivity.

That is actually one of the things living in a pandemic has taught me. When all was stripped away and we had nothing to do and nowhere to go, I began to enjoy rest in a way I never had before. I could stop and sit and not feel guilty for doing so.

With the kids back in school, our lives are once again moving at a fast pace, but I don’t want to lose these lessons learned over the past many months.

So today, I am resting. I am watching movies and reading books and taking a hot bath and playing a game with my family. I am going to go from one pair of pajamas to the next. Because I know taking this time to just be still is important for me, and it’s good for my children to see this modeled as well. I know it will help me to go into the next week better prepared to face whatever comes my way.

I used to feel guilty for resting, and now I understand why it’s so important.

Because it’s in that space, when we take a moment to be still, where we become refreshed and rejuvenated.

In a world that values productivity, we must learn to silence that voice that tells us we have to keep moving and push ourselves to a point of exhaustion. We need to learn to know when to clear our plates.

And take the time we need to do nothing. And take the time we need to rest.