This topic could be applied to exercise and life in general. Chronic injuries, over eating, low stress tolerance, constant sickness, stagnant weight loss, and more are signs we have not given our bodies time to recover. Taking time to rest and recover is not lazy, it’s essential. It means you are taking care of yourself so that you are able to enjoy the life you want and not sit and watch it go by. Most people constantly feel stressed putting their bodies in sympathetic nervous system, fight or flight mode. This creates many health problems starting with poor digestion. Your body turns all other non-essential at the moment functions off and puts its energy toward being able to escape from the threat (real or perceived). So if you are not digesting you can’t get the nutrients you need. And so on. This is why we need to integrate self-care into our lives. It may be mindfulness, yoga, walking in nature, a relaxing bath or deep breathing exercises to help calm our minds and rest so our bodies can recover. These will help us move to parasympathetic nervous system mode. What is the largest stress in your life? Or maybe start with a small stress if working on the big stress is too overwhelming. Can you let go of one commitment? Saying no to something is saying yes to yourself. I struggle with this myself. I enjoy learning and have so many great ideas for my business plus there are so many great causes to lend a hand to, but I need to start to focus on what I value in life. You entrepreneurs out there know what I mean. Always thinking of the next great business or way of improving your current business. Trying to do too much can lead to burnout. You will also be less productive and everything you do will be average. You want to be successful, have good energy, and love your life. So minimize and focus so you are able to make time to rest your mind and body. Do you have a practice you like to make part of your self-care routine? What are you doing to reduce stress in your life?