Rest Is Not a Moral Failure (You’re Not Lazy, You’re Cooked)
“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
That quote pretty much sums up my day.
Today was my weekend day to clean, organize, and take care of the things that didn’t get done during the week. I woke up in a good mood, fully intending a post-holiday deep clean of as much of the house as I could manage.
Then I pulled back the covers, set my feet on the floor, stood… and my back said, “Nah. I don’t wanna.”
Which was disappointing, because there was plenty that needed doing. Seasonal items to put away. Ceiling fans to clean. The HVAC filter to change. And approximately one-quarter of a German Shepherd to remove from the floors and carpets, courtesy of Madame Zelda and the bi-annual GSD Coat Blow. (Seriously. If I knew how to clone, I could make a whole new dog.)
When this happens, it’s hard not to feel guilty about what I can’t get done — especially when, for a little while, all I can do is sit with a heating pad and notice all the things waiting for me.
What I ended up doing instead was soaking up that warmth for about twenty minutes — long enough to stand up straight, do some gentle stretches, and handle what was within reach. Counters got wiped. The coffee maker got cleaned. Sinks got scrubbed. Things between hip-height and shoulder-height got dusted.
And that’s it. That’s what I could do. And that’s what got done.
It wasn’t optimal. I wish I could’ve done more. But pushing my body past its pain threshold doesn’t create productivity — it just guarantees I’ll be out of commission for the next several days.
It can be disheartening when your will is strong and your body wants no part of it. But shaming a body doesn’t make it work better any more than shaming a broken-down car gets it back on the road.
Bodies need time to recover. They need cooperation, not punishment.
So today, I’m choosing smaller jobs and stopping before harm. I’m tending what I can, as I can. And this afternoon, I have a hot date with a heating pad — not because I’m lazy, but because this is what care looks like today.