Happy Rest Day
It’s Labor Day in the United States: the first Monday in September when all banks, schools, government offices, and most business close their doors for a day of rest.
The name “Labor Day” was always confusing to me. If we’re not laboring today, shouldn’t it be called “Rest Day”?
Happy Rest Day, everyone!
You deserve a break.
My FB newsfeed has been filled with “Happy Labor Day!” memes, pictures of hot dogs and hamburgers, and general “I’m taking a day off!” posts from friends and family.
Yours probably looks similar today.
Because it’s Labor Rest Day. The one day a year when the country sets aside time for (most) of the working population.
Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
History of Labor Day, The U.S. Department of Labor.
The sad part about Labor Rest Day is that it only comes around once a year.
Sure, there are other national holidays when most businesses shut down, but this is the only one that is actually dedicated to saying, “HEY! You! Yeah, you, the one who has been working really hard. We appreciate you. Take the day off!”
We live in a society that thrives on business.
Busyness.
And as a hard working solopreneur like you, it’s easy to get caught up in the “Oh-my-gosh-I-have-to-be-constantly-working-to-be-successful” mentality. I myself struggle with it on a daily basis.
We tell ourselves that time spent resting is time wasted. It doesn’t serve our goals. It’s unproductive.
It’s lazy.
So we skip taking a day off on the weekends. We give up vacations to teach make-up lessons. We fill our schedules to the brim so that we feel like no time is wasted.
And we forget to balance ourselves with days of rest.
Moments of peace.
If you work all the time and never really take a vacation, start a new ritual that honors the original spirit of Labor Day. Give yourself the day off. Don’t go in to work. Shut off your phone, computer and other electronic devices connecting you to your daily grind. Then go to a barbecue, like the original participants did over a century ago, and celebrate having at least one day off from work during the year! – Have We Forgotten the True Meaning of Labor Day
Sometimes a Rest Day is exactly what you need in order to make your work days more productive.
Maybe that means spending a day with friends, going to a picnic, seeking out adventures, or just sitting around with a good book. (And a cat. Don’t forget the cat!)
My point is this…
To my solopreneur music teaching friends, I hope that you enjoy not only this day of rest… but many more moments and days of rest throughout this new school year.
Give yourself regular Labor Rest Days so that you can be a better worker tomorrow.
You deserve it.
