This guest post is by Elyse Shafarman from the bodyproject.
How do you handle the need to rest when ill, injured or mentally burnt out?
Try out the idea of allowing rest and play time, but not making it bigger than that. You don’t need to create a story about why you got sick or injured and how you could have done better. I like the phrase, “No need to make it bigger than it is.” You can say this to yourself when you start to freak out about not feeling up to par. Yes, your body needs rest to heal. This doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.
Illness can be metaphorical, and often is, but sometimes we hang on to the illusion that if we did everything perfectly, between nutrition and mental ecology, we would never get sick. This is untrue and creates so much pressure. What does it cost you to accept that part of living in a body is not having total control?
Take care of yourself with kindness. No need to overindulge in binge-like behaviors that mask as self-care. No need to make it into a big story. Just rest and move on when you are done.
About the Guest Blogger
Elyse teaches Alexander Technique at American Conservatory Theater’s acclaimed Masters of Fine Arts Program, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and San Francisco State University’s Institute for Holistic Health Studies. She maintains a private teaching practice in San Francisco and Berkeley.