Don't Wait for Surgery to Take a Break

Why I am rethinking the art of doing nothing.

I'm writing this on day six of recovering from surgery. When I learned I'd be out of the studio, off email, and stuck on the couch for at least a week, I had a surprising thought:

That actually sounds kind of nice.

Not the surgery part, obviously. But a whole week where I had no choice but to slow down? Sign me up!

Now, if it takes major surgery to get your butt to sit still, that probably says something.

Of course, recovery isn't exactly a vacation. And there's already a part of me dreading when I'll be back at my computer facing the emails and to-do lists waiting for me.

Which got me thinking.

Why do we wait until we’re forced to stop before we give ourselves permission to rest?

We tell ourselves we'll take a break when things settle down. When work isn't so busy. When the kids are older. When the house projects are finished. When we've crossed a few more things off the list.

But let’s be serious. When does that ever happen?

There's always something that needs our attention. And if you're anything like me, you're pretty good at convincing yourself that it all needs to happen right now.

Here's what I'm realizing from my very glamorous recovery headquarters (aka my couch): Rest shouldn't have to be earned through exhaustion, burnout, or a doctor's orders.

And it definitely shouldn’t require stitches.

This is actually one of the reasons Christina and I love hosting yoga retreats.

A retreat gives you the opportunity to step away from your everyday responsibilities before life forces you to. To move your body because it feels good. To have someone else make your meals. To spend an afternoon reading, exploring, laughing with new friends, or doing absolutely nothing without feeling like you should be doing something else.

And maybe, with all that extra space, you’ll get a little perspective on what really deserves your time and energy when you get home.

Because the goal isn't to escape your life. It's to come back to it feeling better equipped to enjoy it.

So here’s my advice, straight from the couch:

Don’t wait until you have to slow down. Choose to slow down while you can actually enjoy it.

Preferably somewhere warm, with an ocean view, a really good smoothie, and absolutely no stitches involved.

See you in Tulum!

Sarah