Why You Need to Veg…

Why You Need to Veg…

Do you veg?

Do you feel guilty about it?

At my Build a Business that Works seminar on Monday we talked about why the need to veg is necessary and what to do about it. It may not be what you think…

Years ago, Steven Covey introduced the idea of the 4 quadrants in his game-changing book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

. Here's what they look like:

For most of us, and especially for women business owners, we spend the vast majority of our time in the Important and Urgent category. This is known as 'fighting fires'. Every day we are scrambling to get done what NEEDS to get done NOW in our life and in our business.

We deal with client situations, we take care of the bills, we handle the kids and the parents and our friends and our spouse and… EVERYTHING!

And, if you're like me and my people, you're really REALLY good at it. 

Maybe you even THRIVE on it. It can be a rush. It can be addictive.

And the truth is that when you are fighting fires you have a legitimate excuse to avoid looking at the areas of your life that you don't want to look at.

"Who has time to deal with that?!" becomes our rallying cry as we lustily move from one crisis to another. Meanwhile, the sneaky, not-so-urgent areas of our life slip ever-so-slowly into chaos. It's okay! We'll deal with them when they become a crisis.

Yuck!

The truth is, we're not meant to run at top speed all the time. We were designed to have periods of stress and then looooonnnnnnngggggg periods of recovery and rest. Bursts of adrenalin and then days of calm.

We were built to invest time in the Important and Not Urgent quadrant of our life. To take care of what needs taking care of. To nourish. To replenish and restore and refresh the areas of our life, including our own health, that are Important to us.

So what happens when you run at top speed all the time, fighting fires and dealing with chaos and crisis?

Burnout. Adrenal Fatigue. Anger. Depression. Dis-ease. Ruined Relationships.

It isn't pretty and it's where a lot of us live, if not all the time, then way too much of the time.

What does our body do? Well, it turns out that our body has a built-in protection mechanism:

Our Unconscious Mind's Prime Directive is to

Preserve the Body…

Even in the Face of Our Own Stupidity

That's right. Our body will preserve itself, and our Unconscious Mind will make sure it does so, even when our Conscious Mind is determined to drive us into the ground.

When we are fighting fires all the time, our body will find a way to slow us down.

Whether it is with pain, dis-ease, or vegging in front of the TV for 2 hours every night, it WILL make us stop – to save us from ourselves.

Do you get it?

When you find yourself vegging to the 4th straight hour of reality TV, it isn't because you're lazy, it's because you're dancing on the edge of burnout. You have been so busy fighting fires that you MUST relax or you will slip into dis-ease.

Your body is protecting you.

It loves you.

It cares for you.

Even when you're too busy to care for you. Or you don't believe you should care for you. Or you don't believe you are worthy of self-care. Your body knows. It cares.

And it will do it's best to save you from yourself.

So the next time you find yourself staring at the TV or sleeping in the middle of the day and beating yourself up for being lazy and unproductive, here's what I want you to do:

Ask yourself,

"How hard have I been running lately?

On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being crazy woman?"

If the answer is up there, like, more than 7.5, I want you to snuggle right back down and make a decision to take care of the most important asset you have – YOU. Yes, you. Your mind and your body deserve self-care. They're all you've got to get you through.

What boundaries need to be set?

What conversations need to be had?

What, my dear, dear soul, do you need to say 'No' to?

Your needs are non-negotiable and your need for rest is at the top of that list. You can get this need met unconsciously through pain, dis-ease, and drama OR you can make the decision right now, and I pray you do, that YOU MATTER and that, starting today, you will prioritize your own self-care so that you can pour your grace and energy out into the world from an overflowing cup instead of sucking it dry like a vacuum cleaner.

I wish this for you today and every day, that you create a divine work-life balance where your needs are met and you get to provide the gifts that only you can into the world so that we all benefit. You matter. You have a purpose. You are worthy. And now is your time.

Vanessa Long

Looking to transform your relationship with your Self, your Source, or your Spouse? You've come to the right place. Sacred Physicality will help you create a life you love and relationships that rock. Welcome!

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