Imagine if you, dear postpartum mother, started to not feel so great…
You’re tired, a little run down, achy, a little short-fused… Maybe the pain that you had before has suddenly increased. Was it the long day sitting at the computer? A long day managing the kids at home? There just seems to be no time for you.
And you said “You know what, I am just going to take three days off. I need a break. I’ve had a lot going on. My body is giving me subtle signs that it doesn’t feel that well. I just need a rest.”
This day in age, that sounds a little indulgent to most. Or maybe even impossible (Three days? Totally off? Yeah right.) It doesn’t even sound socially acceptable.
But shouldn’t it be okay? Shouldn’t it be socially acceptable to ask for just a little time off from a job that requires your attention almost 24/7?
While we overestimate the benefits of this pill or that concoction or this treatment or that one, we tend to SO underestimate the benefit of rest, sleep, and pure relaxation. Rest, sleep, and pure relaxation seem off limits to modern day women. We fear the labels placed on us or the repercussions of even asking (including the guilt we would carry).
Do these fears, thoughts, concerns limit us from asking for what we need, even if that something is as simple as rest?
Rest is essential for women to feel strong, focused, energized, and in less pain. It’s all too often overlooked in modern measures of health. Rest includes sleep, but it can also include restoration, meditation, spending time in nature/outdoors, playing (doing that thing you love), and even simply receiving care by someone else.
If your pelvic (or neck, shoulder, back, hip) pain is getting you down. Or you feel overwhelmed or disenchanted with life. Or if your brain feels mushy and foggy. Maybe all you really need is some simple rest.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. -Irish Proverb
