There is a viewpoint on a high mountain pass in Scotland called Rest And Be Thankful.
Generations of people on foot have done exactly that, although the long haul uphill is now more likely to be made by car or tourist coach.
Only locals and dedicated walkers are likely to make the trip on foot. For them, this resting place really deserves its name.
It’s easy to feel down in the dumps during the first weeks of January. Nights are long, and the days are still short. There’s an old saying: as the days lengthen, so the cold strengthens. I’m tempted into comfort eating warming stews (and the remaining Christmas chocolate!), which doesn’t help my perpetual resolution to lose weight. If that wasn’t bad enough, the house looks so bare now the Christmas decorations have been packed away.
Under Pressure
The pressure is on us all to be productive. We’re supposed to make more widgets, grow more food, fill in more forms, and the list of household chores is on an endless loop. Not even the media’s beloved influencers are free from pressure and stress. If they aren’t online day and night, somebody else will be stealing their followers. If one of their own fans goes rogue, they’ll be seen as a bad influencer. They can’t win.
As a full-time writer, I’ve got the perfect job but burnout is a problem. Living in the heads of my characters while I write their stories is an all-consuming passion. When a book is finished, there’s the pressure to turn in edits, check proofs, and hit deadlines. This creates a different kind of stress.
When publication day arrives and the book has to be promoted and marketed, I realise writing fiction is the easy part.
Refilling the Well
Much as I love going to events and posting on social media, there comes a point when I have to call a halt. My poor brain won’t take any more. That’s when I need to spend time “refilling the well”. I get outside and walk, or choose books to read for enjoyment rather than research. During winter one of my favourite relaxations is sitting in front of the fire, watching the logs burn and the embers glow. It’s downtime for my brain, and it costs nothing.
Rest, and Be Thankful
We’re around half-way through January. Struggling through two weeks of winter weather while trying to keep our resolutions is hard work. I vote we allow ourselves one guilt-free session of rest and recuperation!
No pedometers or to-do lists are allowed – instead, let’s all spend at least ten minutes doing nothing. Cat-napping, daydreaming, or reading something simply for pleasure. Opening a window or going outside to take five slow, steady breaths of fresh air can be enough. Feel your shoulders drop and your neck muscles soften.
Rest, and be thankful this week – if only for a few moments.