Lazy or Restoring?

As the days get cooler, a book by the fire or an earlier bedtime sounds pretty good. Until that familiar thought kicks in: Am I being lazy?

Our culture celebrates productivity. So when we stop doing, we often judge ourselves before we consider what we need.

Lazy or restoring?

“Lazy” is a label we put on ourselves. Restore time has a purpose: replenishing our physical and mental energy.

From the outside, they can look exactly the same. You are on the couch. The list is unfinished. Nothing is getting done. The difference is worth getting curious about.

Ask yourself three questions:

• What do I need? Am I tired, overloaded or craving quiet? Or am I putting off something because it feels difficult or uncomfortable?

• Is this helping? Am I enjoying the book or settling into the quiet? Or am I scrolling while mentally rehearsing everything I should be doing?

• How do I feel afterward? More settled and ready to reengage? Or still stuck, with the same task hanging over me?

You can need rest and be avoiding something at the same time. Recognizing that gives you a choice: take a real break, then decide on one next step.

Why restore time can be a competitive advantage?

Constantly pushing through can keep your nervous system on alert. Restore time can help shift it toward the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, giving your body room to recover and refuel.

This is your competitive advantage: returning with more energy, patience and clarity for the decisions, relationships and work you care about.

​This week, before calling yourself lazy, ask: “What do I need, and will this help restore me?”

💙 Collins, Jill, Susan