Dear Wild One: The Art of Rest

What 1980's weight lifters reminded me of.

I grew up in the 1980’s hearing about the Soviet weightlifters. They could lift unfathomable amounts of weight, obliterating the competition, winning gold medals, and inspiring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Under a microscope, come to find out, their success was driven by a strategic plan of high-intensity performance versus periods of rest (and steroids, but that’s another story). They lifted weights to the point of burnout, followed by sustained periods of doing nothing. Seems counterintuitive. One might speculate that being an elite athlete leaves no room for rest. You stop, you are no longer elite.

Having been a general fitness weight lifter throughout my own life, here is what I know: when you lift heavy weights, you are actually tearing the muscle fibers. The more weight you lift, the more fibers you rip and tear (which is why you get so sore). But when the muscle is rested, it begins to repair, building a stronger network of muscle fibers to support more weight next time. Strength is built in rest, not exertion.

Who knew rest could be so productive?

The Winter Olympics began this past weekend, and today I found myself thinking about those Soviet weightlifters. I woke up happy to see Monday. The quiet, the routine, the structure.

Why? Because on Monday, everyone in my orbit returns to school and work, and I have a moment to sit at my desk and just be. I’m in that cycle, maybe you know it, where sitting down is a luxury. Life is full of carpooling, sports practices, and then games, followed by relentless caretaking… of bodies, minds, and hearts. Not to mention my own work. It is physically and mentally demanding, often taken for granted, and leaves me with very little time for myself.

Where is the rest?

I tell myself this is how it is, at least until then…

…until the kids can drive themselves.
…until they leave the house for college or other experiences.
…until work slows down.

You get the idea.

Until then has become a constant friend in my mind. Holding my breath and bracing for impact. Perhaps until then is more of a foe, robbing me of rest.

I talk about being present often. Gratitude lives in the present moment, and the breath connects us. The horses show us how necessary being present is and should be for a wild life. And all those tools are great. Of course they are. They lead to lives of contentment and peace. But nobody talks about rest.

You and I have been trained to believe that resting is for the weak, the lazy. You are unproductive and apathetic if you choose to rest. Task, task, task. Do more. Do better. If you want it all, you have to do it all. Standing still is not an option. Are you tired of that narrative? I know I am.

How effective is that for you, really? As an athlete, I know this. I know that sustained periods of exertion with little to no rest lead to burnout. My body simply cannot keep up. Injury and poor performance are the result. Don’t even get me started on what that pace does to my mindset.

The truth is, rest is where growth actually happens. To genuinely live a wild life, rest must become one of your core values. A priority you absolutely cannot compromise. The performance is priming your mind and body for growth, but it won’t actually happen until you rest. All the absorption of wisdom, strength, and vision requires you to slow down.

Here is the evidence.

Your body heals, repairs, and grows while you sleep.
Your muscles actually get bigger after you lift weights, not during.
Harvest follows fallow.
Nature vibrantly springs to life after dormancy.

What I want to remind us both, Wild One, brought to mind by 80’s weight lifters, is that if you merely stay in the same place, you stagnate. And let me be clear about the difference. Staying in the same place is not resting. Continuing to behave in the same patterns over and over, without sustained periods of rest, breeds stagnation.

Generate growth by activating periods of rest. There is no other path. A quick method to incorporate easy rest is the 60/10 strategy. For every 60 minutes of focused work, take 10 minutes of rest. Take a walk, doodle, sit and stare at the wall, or love on your pet. Notice I didn’t say pick up your device.

I know it’s hard. I, too, struggle to give myself permission to slow down for a minute. I carry the same stories. So let’s hold each other accountable. I give you permission to slowly slide periods of rest into your daily schedule. Any excuse you make about not having enough time is only holding you back. We deserve greatness.

You become wild when you allow yourself to be free. Free yourself of what everyone thinks you should be doing. You might be quite surprised about how much you get done when you allow yourself a respite.

Now, go win a gold medal with a power nap! I believe in you.

Love,

Abby