Hello Reader, How are you? Are you taking any sort of break? Are you feeling fully rejuvenated by it?

Last week I was "out of office" - traveling in Alaska with my family, being wowed by wildlife and looooong days, full of sunlight.

I found myself thinking about the nature of rest, especially as I work with clients who want to make the most of their time off.

What contributes to real rejuvenation?

Worrying about being unproductive, feeling overwhelmed by emotions, or being too tired to give ourselves what we really need is definitely not supplying the energy we crave.

During my break I enjoyed a YouTube video, The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves - By Dr. Shawn A. Ginwright which was shared with me by a generous reader. Definitely worth a listen.

I was particularly struck by the section about Rest Inequality (at min 36:34) in this rich interview.

"Rest is the ability to not work and to not feel guilty."

I had to stop and rewind when I heard that because I know so many of us struggle with this.

He mentioned that our American culture is at war with rest and that not all cultures have a view of rest as lazy or wasteful.

Rest is not just sleep, it is the ability to rejuvenate, to enjoy and access leasure.

He notes that there are structural racial and economic barriers to rest. Plus we face the internal narrative that 'Rest is for the weak'. Combining these internal and external factors we have not begun to fully grapple with how deeply needed rest is for the social changes we are trying to create.

I completely agree. In order to avoid burnout, you not only need sleep,

You need REJUVENATION.

Reflection Questions Are you in the midst of anti-rest culture and unaware of it? Do you know how to REJUVENATE during your time off or do you veg in unhealthy ways and check-out, numbing yourself from the fear of what you face when you return? Do you know how to release the guilt that rudely interrupts your time off? Do you know how to actually rejuvenate?

Here are some ideas for rejuvenation that my clients recently identified for themselves:

• Working in the yard. “Feeling the dirt and mulch in my hands does something good for my brain.”
• Cleaning house. “Letting go of things I don’t need in the physical world helps me do it on a mental level as well.”
• Cooking a good meal. “Eating well gives me the energy I’m really craving.”
• Connecting with loved ones. “The worries of work just don’t even matter when I’m with them.”

What is it for you? Hit reply and let me know how you are committing to finding rejuvenation this summer.