“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.” ~ Ashleigh Brilliant
I have spun myself out. Stress seems to be everywhere. Yesterday, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t calm down until I got home and collapsed in a heap on my yoga mat. I sank down into the floor, feeling the comfort of the solid ground beneath me. I could have continued to ignore my own advice and run, run, run to combat stress. I thought about it, and then thought better of it. I didn’t need to run, I needed to rest.
Resting, contrary to logic, is hard work. Our minds race, our hearts race, and our feet follow along furiously trying to keep up. It’s a cycle. I used to beat myself up for over-scheduling my life. Now, I just de-schedule it. It’s another form of editing, an under-appreciated, subconsciously coveted, and courageous talent. It causes anxiety, guilt, and a bit of regret. But sometimes, a little regret is necessary. We aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. We burn ourselves out. We wear ourselves down.
Energy is cyclical, and when we’re done, we’re done. Take a load off. You deserve it.
Illustration above by Jim Davis. Garfield had the right idea.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.” ~ Ashleigh Brilliant 
Christa Avampato 
Christa!
Don’t forget to unplug at the same time you are trying to unwind.. You can rest if the phone is ringing and the emails are piling up.
You’ll love this article from the Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16brain.html?_r=1&ref=technology
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FAIR! How I miss you! I love the Times article. And well-said – unplugging and unwinding go hand-in-hand. 🙂
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Sometimes trying too hard to relax the mind is just work. Let it wander, not work, a meandering mind is a relaxed and creative mind.
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I love that relaxation and creativity go together. It’s why my yoga practice is so important to me – it has absoluetly made me more creative to relax and breath easy.
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