On exploring REST.
What is your relationship with REST?
For as long as I can remember I never valued rest. In fact, I thought rest was only for the weak. Our culture sends us some very interesting messages ... both implicitly and explicitly. As I continue to age (and hopefully gain more wisdom), my relationship to rest has changed significantly.
Through reading, research and my own self-experimentation (yes, I run experiments on myself all the time), I have discovered some very valuable things pertaining to rest. I want to be clear here ... rest and sleep are very different things in this context. More on sleep at a later time.
So let’s focus on rest…
Some of the definitions on REST that I have discovered in the dictionary include:
“to refresh oneself, as by sleeping, lying down, or relaxing”
“to relieve weariness by cessation of exertion or labor”
“to give rest to; refresh with rest”
“to lay or place for rest, ease, or support”
Rest can be difficult to define for individuals because it can look different for everyone. Rest is any behavior aimed at increasing physical or mental well-being… It can be active, such as going for a walk outside or taking a yoga class. Or passive, such as taking 10 minutes to sit down and breathe deeply and meditate, or even read a book. Regardless of what rest looks like for you, these daily behaviors can help you recover and recharge from physical and mental effort. Hence, why better rest is linked to better physical and mental health.
With the hustle and bustle of life, rest is typically the first thing to go, which may not seem like a big deal … but please reference above …. REST IS LINKED TO BETTER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. Through research science has found, these are several major benefits to daily rest and relaxation:
reduced stress and anxiety
improved mood
decreased blood pressure
chronic pain relief
improved immune health
stronger cardiovascular system
So then the self-inquiry becomes …. How can you better prioritize rest?
Well, that might first begin with shifting your relationship with rest. For me, this took my quite some time… but well worth all the journaling, the conversations, the forced slow down.
From there, find small ways in which you can incorporate rest and relaxation into your daily routine. We make time every day to eat, take our kids to school, do errands and go to work. Why should rest be any different? Start by finding a relaxation technique that works for you. This could be meditating, practicing yoga, walking outside, listening to music, reading a book, taking a bath or any combination of these things. When planning out your daily routine, find a consistent time to rest. Heck! Even add your “rest activity” to your to-do list if you are like me and like to cross things off so you feel “productive.” Find a way. Your overall well-being will benefit. And in a world that demands a lot of us.. mind, body, spirit … on a consistent basis, you might as well take these small moments to love yourself and prioritize your health. Being in good health will only increase your quality of life.
Please let me know what you discover along the way as you explore what rest means to you. I’m always happy to chat about it more. My greatest hope with this post is that you are able to experience all the benefits of rest through your own self-inquiry.
In love, light + with gratitude,
Nicole xo