When Rest Comes Knocking
I didn’t consciously decide to give myself time off from writing in the middle of the month, but it happened and I’m glad I let it. How it came about was that I’d been working on finishing Pirate Tale No. 7, then absolutely attacked a short story idea for a magazine submission, and then boysy and I hit the road for a small trip we’d had on the calendar. Just a small thing to visit friends and family in another state. I even packed my writing binder and had intentions of working on Tale No. 8’s outline.
But then Rest called my name.
What Rest said was, “You’ve been writing diligently. You’ve just finished two big things. Try taking a few days to sleep in, enjoy your morning lifts, and sink into the time carved out for loved ones.”
I get antsy, inwardly, if I go too long without some kind of writing, so I kept a journal handy. A few years ago, I was much better about consistent journaling and made it a point to document any traveling I did. This felt like as good a time as any to pick that up again, though this trip wasn’t anything crazy or new. We weren’t sight-seeing or experiencing a new city. Still, I made notes on each day.
There was one afternoon I got time to sit on the back porch, in the sunshine, and write, and it was good to not feel like I’d been away from my stories too long. It was just right to have come home after playing at the park with my husband and nephew and then decide to enjoy some quiet—just me, my paper, and my pen.
I am good at getting physical rest. I know a nap hates to see me comin’. I am not always good at choosing activities that result in emotional or mental rest. Because it’s hard to get the brain to shut off, you know? Hard to not be thinking about where I want to take my next story or how to finish a tricky scene or what I should write about next for my blog.
In recent times, I’ve found it challenging to feel like I’m not doing enough or making enough progress to accomplish all my goals. That made it difficult to take days off, even when I needed to, because I wanted to do and be finished and be in a place where I was seeing my efforts bear fruit.
So, it was no small thing to lean into how Rest had called my name and be quite content with getting back into my work once we returned home. Because that’s how it is, right? The pages will still be blank and ready to be filled with words. Because Wednesday is still laundry day. Because dinner needs to be cooked every night. The work ain’t going anywhere.
But my nephews won’t always be this small. My friend won’t have a 30th birthday again. My grandmother isn’t getting any younger. And I have the now to enjoy how things are in the moment, which means taking the days when Rest comes knocking and doing something with them. Though I have projects awaiting. Though I have revisions to make. Though a deadline approaches.
Letting my brain take a breather makes me better for the pending tasks, too. Arresting momentum sometimes seems counter to the goal, but it’s more like a little pause. A necessary pause. I’m fortunate to have gotten a string of days, but it doesn’t have to be something you wait to take advantage of until you’ve accumulated enough PTO. You have to be intentional about it, and it could be the next Saturday you have free or being strict in setting aside your rough draft for a few days to clear your mind and do other hobbies. It doesn’t mean stopping because sometimes it’s a pivot, and then, when you’ve had your break, you pivot back and return to it.
My final thought is that sometimes it feels like we need permission to rest. You don’t. If your brain needs it, take it. Take the night off from writing to catch up with friends or spend the day at a museum. Think about other things or read outside of your genre. Rest—and don’t feel guilty about it.
I hope these coming days will give you time to breathe and hit the pause or make the pivot, and I’ll catch you back here next week refreshed and ready for more writing!