Overriding the Need to Do More

When I made the decision to cancel a client session yesterday because I was feeling under the weather, my first reaction was frustration towards my body. I slept 9 hours and the “only thing I’d done” was go to the dentist. You shouldn’t really be tired, said a familiar voice. You’re wrong for feeling this way. 
Upon closer inspection there is a whole list of reasons why I could be feeling tired. It was the first day of my period so my hormones are at their lowest. It was an emotionally intense weekend (even more so than usual). I didn’t sleep well for two nights as a result. We’re all still experiencing covid. Etc, etc. 
Doing less instead of more can bring up a lot of fear. It’s an act of rebellion against a society that has raised us to do the exact opposite. Feelings have more room to surface. You look at the people around you and the lizard mind shouts “What are you doing? You should be moving FASTER! You’ll fall behind all the other people and get nowhere in life!” 
We may feel initially frustrated and unworthy because we’re “doing so much less” than others. Yet I am reminded repeatedly to prioritize relaxation above all else, because when I am most in alignment with my body is without exception when life works best. Money flows without effort. Things that otherwise would have been a big deal become very doable.
Not everyone has the luxury of flowing with their body’s needs 24/7. There are work schedules, children, other life commitments. However, many of us fill up our valuable time automatically because we’re taught that it’s a marker of our self-worth. It’s a learned behavior, and there is so much that we can do (or rather, not do) once we begin to question the “should” and “need to” statements in our head, to let them unravel.