How long can you go without being on your phone? I was on a virtual meeting on my phone, but if I looked at anything else, I would lose the meeting. My mind was having major FOMO at all the things I was “missing.” Then something magical happened. I’ve been trying to find the title for my car so I can transfer it to my son. I thought I had saved a copy to my computer. Since I could not scroll on my phone, I received an insight. Look in the document safe. Did I find it? Keep reading. Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith developed the seven types of rest. I want to hone in on mental rest using the Four of Swords as our guide.
Every week, we explore a Tarot card because Tarot is rich in symbology and helps us tap into our intuition.
Card of the Week: The Four of Swords
A person, likely a knight, as indicated by the swords, lies in repose in a tomb. There are three swords above him and one below as part of the coffin. There is a stained-glass picture on the wall that appears to depict a supplicant receiving a blessing from a religious figure.
The Pattern It Reveals
Are you someone who says you will get enough rest when you die? Rest and renewal are part of the process. Sleep is not optional even if you think you are superhuman and don’t need to rest. Rest and sleep are different. Sleep is a biological function that allows your body and brain to rest, repair, and clean themselves. You can sleep and not wake up feeling rested. The Four of Swords asks us to explore our relationship with rest. We are focusing on the mental aspect of rest since, as parents, we often let our to-do lists drive our actions. We believe that if we just fit in one more thing, we will finally earn the right to rest. We crave continuous stimulation and are constantly overwhelmed. We find it hard to access the information we need, like where we put the car title, yet can remember the lyrics to our favorite song from twenty years ago.
The Question Worth Asking
What is your relationship with rest?
I am a morning person. No, I am THAT morning person. You know the one who sings to the birds and is annoyingly cheery. I don’t know if it is nature or nurture, since I’ve basically been woken up at 5 am for as long as I remember so my mom could wash and dry our long hair. I tried to make the most of every moment of the day. Instead of being mindful, I had a mind full of open loops. It did catch up to me, and I needed medical intervention. Since then, I have been incorporating rest into my day. It’s hard to completely unlearn old habits, so I’m glad you all are with me.
What is your favorite time of the day? Mine is the morning because it’s quiet. Now when I wake up, I take a moment to practice gratitude. On certain mornings, my cat initiates a rest intervention and lies down on me, encouraging me to sit with my thoughts. I don’t start the day with a mind full of to-dos. Instead, I start it calmly and intentionally.
One Small Experiment to Try This Week
In the spirit of The Five-Minute Club. See if you can spend five minutes away from your phone. No, you can’t go on the computer or the television. Try drinking some water, taking a phone-free walk, doodling, or practicing deep breathing.
By not scrolling on my phone, I was able to take the mental pause I needed, and my brain found my title in the document safe. I just searched for “car” and “title” on my computer, and nothing came up. If I did not get that mental rest, I would have had to spend money to get a copy of the title. When my clients do a five-minute calm-down session with me, many of them report having strong epiphanies. That mental break was what they needed to think clearly.
Do you feel that your mind never shuts off?
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day – unless you’re too busy, then you should sit for an hour.”
Do you struggle to focus? Forget what you came in this room for? Is your mind playing tricks on you? You probably need to rest. Did you feel some of the brain fog lift during that five-minute break? That's a band-aid. In my Deep Calm Session, we look for what keeps you running from fire to fire and build a system in which 'calm' becomes the default rather than a micro-moment. I’ve created a space to help you rest, reclaim your peace, and leave with your next best step. Normally, clients invest $299 for a 1-on-1 Deep Calm Session. But because you are part of my newsletter community, I am opening 5 spots at a steep discount to test a brand-new framework. You can claim your session for just $50 using the code PLAY at checkout: - https://calendly.com/thingstothinkabout/deepcalm. This offer expires at the end of the month.
About The Author
Hi, friends 👋🏽. I'm Stacy Casson, a Lean Six Sigma certified mom of five. I used to hold a PhD in creating chaos. Now, I help other busy, overwhelmed parents have peaceful evenings and avoid dramatic mornings.
