healing moment: lie down
When you’re struggling to rest but know you need it to heal, remember you can just… lie down.
healing moment: lie down
This weekend, I found myself tired and anxious. I knew I needed to rest, but I struggled to find a way. I tried to watch things on television, but none of them were interesting. I turned to my phone, but knew quickly that rest wouldn’t be found there. I thought about taking a nap, but I knew I wouldn’t actually sleep, so it felt pointless. I was trapped — how would I rest?
Finally, I decided to just… lie down. At first, it was awful. I tossed and turned. Again, it felt pointless. I wondered if I should try another tv show, get a snack, open back up TikTok, scroll anything, instead of just lying down.
I stopped to say to myself: You don’t have to fall asleep. Sleep isn’t the goal. There is no goal. The hope is rest. If all you do is rest from the intake of information, you’ve cared for yourself.
So I just laid there. In my bed. Not asleep. But far from my phone. I spent about an hour, just letting my mind wander. When it would steer to the more difficult thoughts, I’d try to gently turn to something more hopeful. Or I’d honor the difficult thought, because, Lord, aren’t we always going to have some difficult thoughts?
After about an hour, I decided to turn on a comedy podcast. I wanted a little bit of humor, but I wanted to keep my eyes closed. It was joyful, but still connected to rest. I wasn’t sleeping, but I was resting my eyes. I was lying down.
So, when you’re struggling to rest but know you need it to heal, remember you can just… lie down.
With love & care,
EJW
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I tried this today during a writing retreat that someone else was leading. It was an online event and we were offered a brief free time break. I went outside for a minute, looked around, then came inside and lay down on the floor. It felt so solid and supportive, and restful, even for just a few minutes. Then I got up and went back to writing. This feels like it might be an interesting practice to explore during Lent. Thanks so much for offering this.