Week One Affirmation - I Deserve Rest, Je Mérite Du Repos – Je Mérite (I Deserve)

Happy New Year from myself and all your fellow members of the Je Mérite coterie!

This is our third year of affirming ourselves each week, so whether is this your first year or your third, we always start the year with a focus on rest and restoration.

As we step into 2025, let us remind ourselves to embrace rest.

Rest is not just the absence of activity; it’s a radical act of self-compassion and care.

This week, as we do every first week of the year, we affirm:

I DESERVE REST (JE MÉRITE DU REPOS)

Below, I've curated a gentle guide to inspire and support your journey toward rest and restoration this week:

*All photos are links to more information. The bookshop.org link is an affiliate link

GUIDED MEDITATION

We begin with a guided meditation exploring the transformative power of rest as an act of resistance. In a world that constantly demands productivity and hustle, this meditation invites you to reclaim rest as a radical practice for healing, self-care, and liberation.

Let rest be your revolution

BY DR LORI

PODCAST

We continue with a podcast.

As busy people–partners, parents, career drivers, caretakers and a host of other hats we wear, rest seems like an elusive and sometimes impossible task. Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith has spent her career looking at the ways different kinds of rest are the little levers we can pull that renew our bodies, brains and souls. This discussion with Dr Dalton-Smith and Jen Hatmaker is truly inspiring.

YOU DESERVE TIME TO REST WITH DR. SAUNDRA DALTON-SMITH

BY JEN HATMAKER - FOR THE LOVE PODCAST

BLOG/ JOURNAL PROMPT

Next, this journal prompt and blog post will educate you further on the necessity of rest and some time to reflect.

YOU DESERVE TO RECHARGE, REST, AND SIMPLY BE

BY MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS OF THE STORYTELLERCO

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Next, we dive into our book recommendation from Dr Dalton-Smith. In Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional. By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, Sacred Rest gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.

SACRED REST: RECOVER YOUR LIFE, RENEW YOUR ENERGY, RESTORE YOUR SANITY

BY SAUNDRA DALTON-SMITH

FILM/ SERIES RECOMMENDATION

One of the things I love most about my favorite Je Mérite inspired pasttime, TV and movies, are how they can restore my optimism and provide rest. This show is my personal favorite right now and APPLE TV+ is offering for you to binge for free this weekend!

This show is heartwarming and hilarious, think of THIS IS US + MODERN FAMILY. “Shrinking” follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives …including his own. Enjoy!

ON APPLE TV PLUS

YOUR "I DESERVE" AFFIRMATION RITUAL

A rest ritual can be a meaningful practice that you perform with intention to help you feel more centered and at peace. Let's affirm:

REST

ESTABLISH STRUCTURE - Give yourself a time for your ritual and stick to it

SET THE SCENE - Light your "I Deserve Rest" candle to create a space for your ritual and put on your Je Mérite!

PRACTICE MINDFUL BREATHING - Inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold for four. Repeat this cycle to help you center your thoughts

JOURNAL YOUR THOUGHTS - Write down your thoughts on this week's affirmation and place open for you to reflect on and add to throughout the week

“I don’t know who needs to hear this but rest is not a reward. You don’t have to earn rest. You need rest. You deserve rest. You are worthy of rest simply because you are a living being. And don’t ever feel guilty for taking time to rest” - ESO TOLSON

Week One Affirmation - I Deserve Rest, Je Mérite Du Repos