I realized to my horror the other day after spending an afternoon watching TV that even while I’m supposedly “resting” I’m not actually relaxing my body and mind. I got up and still felt exhausted, my heart was pounding, I felt sleepy, and had no energy.
After moving around a bit and realizing how tired I still felt, it suddenly occurred to me how much I thought of all the things I “should” have been doing while I was supposed to be resting. I had put my feet up and was laughing along with the show but then remembered my list of ‘to do’s’ and a surge of anxiety shot through me. I tried to relax but thought about laundry that would need to be switched in a few minutes. I got back into my show but then thought of my toddler in the next room and had to get up and check to make sure he was still breathing. I sat back down to get comfy but felt like I was just wasting time watching TV. I assured myself it wasn’t wasted, I needed some time to myself and wanted to watch something that made me laugh… It went on like this for the entire hour and a half my youngest slept. I was in a battle with myself over allowing my body and mind to rest.
I have recently been thinking hard about my complicated relationship with TV. I love it but I hate it and hate that I love it. It’s confusing and I wanted to understand why. I must have asked just the right question about why I was so tired after having just spent an hour on the couch, because it was like a light bulb turning on in my brain; I wasn’t allowing myself to relax because I didn’t think I should be relaxing, and especially not in front of the TV.
I had this image in my head that I should be always moving, always doing, always staying productive. Even in times of rest I should be exercising; be it, my brain, my body, my skills – anything just as long as I’m simultaneously checking off things on my ‘to do’ list or goals for the season. Because then I wouldn’t be “wasting” time on the couch, I’d still furthering myself and staying productive.
This is a bogus idea. Maybe in theory it could be admirable but the reality of never letting yourself just be, is not healthy. Your body and mind need rest. It is a key component in living a healthy, balanced life. Just like you cannot function without sleep; you cannot flourish without rest. Listen here because this is important; resting yourself is not a waste of time NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE DOING. It is a vital part of having the ability to be productive at all. You cannot check things off your list if you haven’t rested enough to have the energy to do them in the first place.
If you want to spend a few hours watching TV on a Saturday afternoon, do it! You deserve it after working hard all week, being a parent, cleaning up after your kids or your spouse, and etc. We all have our responsibilities, whatever they are, you deserve time to sit and relax yourself after working hard on accomplishing them. Even on our less productive days or weeks, we need downtime.
I love watching TV and though not everyone thinks it’s something you should spend time on, it helps me relax and takes my mind off my every day stress. Of course, everything in moderation right? So, spending all my free time sitting watching TV is not something I’d consider healthy but the couple times a week I sit down and pick a movie to watch is not something I need to feel guilty about. In fact, I have every right to feel just the opposite about it. Knowing when you need time to stop and refuel AND doing just that, is a good skill to have. Because some people don’t know when to quit or know and refuse, which causes their health to suffer.
Finding new shows to get into or looking forward to a movie night after a long week can be a valuable part of winding down, relieving stress and rejuvenating yourself. This is important for setting yourself up for success in the next week. Without rest you cannot work at your full potential and therefore can’t reach the goals you’re trying to accomplish. So if you were like me, always second guessing your decision to sit down and enjoy a good show, then just know that it is in your greatest interest to let your mind and body take a break and be fully submersed in comfort.
So, please, embrace those 3 episodes of your favorite show, in a row, after an especially difficult week. You have earned it.
Miss ECG 