How To Enjoy Guilt-Free Rest

The urge to constantly be on the go has become almost as popular as oat milk. I’m by no means hating on oat milk. I love oat milk in all shapes and forms. I particularly like it with my gluten-free activated granola, but let me try not to sound too pathetic. However, I am hating on the idea that we are only succeeding if we are busy every single minute of the day and aren’t warranting ourselves a few moments of guilt-free rest.

An unconventional work week

Coming straight out of school into the modelling world meant I didn’t have that classic move from high schooler to university goer. To be honest, I am kind of sad I missed out on that. My “uni years” were spent figuring out which newbie model stole my apple from the model apartment fridge(is it sad I got so angry about an apple?). I loved school, contrary to many other people’s views and thrived because I enjoyed being and feeling busy. I did drama, debating, was a house captain, on numerous societies and attempted sport.

The modelling industry is a tough one on the mind as you often find yourself with empty days alone with your thoughts which are already scary enough. However, I have had to learn to step back and realise that this is a career which means it’s okay if I take an off day as a break and that it’s okay for a Monday to be my Saturday. 

It’s harder than you think…

A lot of the time that gym class that you are dragging yourself to because you feel too guilty to recognise that maybe you just need a couch moment, often leaves you feeling more exhausted than before. I’ve been there and it’s a nightmare having to tug on your spandex when all you want is Netflix and a cup of tea. I’ve had to work hard on my mind to decipher the difference between needing actual rest and lack of motivation. Trust me, it’s harder to warrant yourself the break than force yourself to the gym class sometimes.

I recently listened to a podcast where a study was conveyed and it showed that people who watched tv and recognised it as a form of rest had lower cortisol levels afterwards than people who had the guilt associated with watching tv. Who knows, maybe Garfield had it right all these years.

Social media isn’t helping

The worst part about rest is that we are constantly reminded and burdened with every busy-bodies’ Instagram story of them doing things we feel we should be doing. In the past, I’ve woken up with a roaring hangover and slid through Insta Stories of people at the local farmers’ market sipping their oat milk latte (promise, I do love oat milk) after doing their 6th spin class for the week. I feel useless at that moment, not because I become as functional as a newborn when I’m hungover, but because I feel, “damn, why am I not doing that”. I forget the week I’ve had and all the work I have presumably done to warrant one wild fun Friday, all in that moment of guilt.

Slowing things down

Slow mornings have become a thing for my partner and me. Almost every morning, we wake up, acknowledge we are awake and we lie in bed and have a cup of tea before we do anything. At first, this felt wrong. It felt lazy and juvenile to just ‘lie in bed’. However, this has made a huge impact on how we carry ourselves for the rest of the day. It’s so important to ease yourself into the emails, coffees, and normal clothing as it sets you up for smooth sailing through the following hours.

What I’m trying my best to reiterate, and I have a long way to come in learning this too, is that rest does not have to have the guilt associated with it. Rest takes far more mental power than filling your time with nonsense in order to feel busy or to parade to the world (with a “Paris” filter)  that you are busy. I am also trying to reiterate that I do love oat milk, and I have a smoothie recipe linked here.