Time to get up!

Dear Men: I Struggle… with rest.

• I struggle with sleep – I don’t get enough but I can’t get myself to bed earlier. Going to bed at 9 feels like I am 80 years old and have nothing left to live for.
• I struggle with naps – I can’t fall asleep or I sleep for 3 hours.
• I struggle with being able to stay in bed - I don’t have a problem getting up early. My problem is that I am not able to sleep in.
• I struggle with slowing down – finding what ‘enough’ is and actually sticking to it.
• I struggle with properly breathing – I always forget to take deep, full breaths.
• I struggle with doing nothing or having a ‘lazy day’ - I get anxious. A voice says ‘Do Something!’ or I am wasting my time and life.
• I struggle with waiting – such as in a line at the grocery store or at the airport if I don’t have a book or IPod.
• I struggle with consistent prayer, meditation, and quiet time – I believe in it and practice it but sometimes feel that I don’t have time to do it.
• I struggle with recovery and recuperation time – being okay with not doing something because I am ‘too tired’ or don’t feel well.
• I struggle with truly relaxing – as evidenced by the tension my wife massages out every night in my trapezius muscles.

Above all, I struggle with believing in the concept, value, and benefit of rest but having a hard time actually doing it without my mind drifting to the next action, project, or To-Do list item I want to tackle.

Dear Men: I Struggle. And I know you do, too.