Take Time To Rest

There is a week and half to go before summer ceases to be known for many of us. And before this post turns into a cliche summary of the seasons of life, I do want to point out how the end of summer makes me feel: tired. The dreary weather outside and the hot temperatures in the office (because of a broken AC) definitely contribute to my lethargic state at the moment, but my tiredness goes beyond the here and now.

Resting is something very hard for us to do. Physical rest almost seems non-existent in a culture saturated with drive-thru Starbucks and a barrage of energy drinks that I coin "sleep in a cup". What's even worse, is we seem to applaud hard workers that work long hours and then wonder why their marriages fail or why their kids don't spend time with them.

In my work at TreeHouse I am often torn when it comes to the topic of the "correct" amount of time spent at my job. While we encourage healthy boundaries between personal life and work, I still find it hard sometimes to go home at the end of the day feeling like I didn't do enough. Staff that are able to meet 1:1 with a ton of kids are esteemed. Yet I know when I am physically, emotionally, or spiritually starved and exhausted I am no good to anyone.

So where is the balance? In my almost three years at TreeHouse I know it doesn't look like my fellow co-workers. I simply cannot survive on three-no hours of sleep on an overnight and still be any fun to kids, like some staff. Since getting married I have realized the even greater importance of not saying yes to another 1:1 at five 'o clock or agreeing to more hours on the weekend than I need to. In a way, marriage has created a better balance because I see more directly and quickly how my overworking can affect someone than just me. For awhile I had to let go that I was disappointing someone by not signing up for everything.

So as I prepare to enjoy my last weekend before our last summer TreeHouse trip, I plan to rest. I rec commend you do the same.