Do you feel like your life is just GO GO GO?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about REST.
We mostly think about rest as sleep (which is super important and most of us don’t get enough of!) but there are other types of physical rest as well.
Let's explore a few of them:
1. Sleep
Do you sleep well? Sleep is such an important part of a healthy mind and body. Feel like you aren't being productive if you spend more time sleeping? Think again. Sleep is critical to brain function - concentration, memory and emotional regulation so start prioritizing your sleep or looking for solutions to your dysfunctional sleep patterns.
2. Gentle Movement Slow, gentle yoga like yin or restorative yoga, stretching or a slow, intentional walk can help you feel refreshed.
3. Restorative physical practices Such as massage therapy, reflexology, energy work like Reiki are all creative opportunity for REST in the body.
What about mental rest? Are you making the time to rest your brain?
The honest truth - some weeks I overdo it. My schedule gets too full and at the end of the week I feel drained and depleted. It's important that I share this with you because NO ONE is perfect. NO ONE. The key is, I have the tools & knowledge to support myself right away.
When my brain starts to feel like there are too many tabs open, or I feel overwhelmed by my work day, I will spend some time reflecting on what I am saying yes to, where I need to say no, what boundaries are missing, and how I can improve to avoid feeling that way going forward.
There are always going to be periods of time with a little bit more and a little bit less.
Here are some ways you can add mental rest to your day:
1. Take regular breaks to step away from your work (10-15 minutes can be extremely helpful to your mind). If you struggle taking breaks - add them to your calendar, schedule alerts and reminders into your phone until you get into the habit of doing this.
2. Slow down your schedule so you are not racing from one thing to the next. Allow for breaks in between meetings
3. Do a "brain dump" of your thoughts or “to-dos” at the end of the day so your mind isn’t spinning with thoughts as you try to rest. Read the full article here.
If you find yourself constantly in "recovery" mode from your week on the weekends, you might be in need of more REST throughout your week.
Rest can feel hard, especially for us high achievers but it's so, so worth it to find better balance and wellness in our days.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, drained or are struggling to make time for rest I want to encourage you to think about where you can find time for rest in your days.
Looking for more support on stress management and preventing burnout?
Alison regularly delivers workshops and training on these topics. Learn more here and reach out if you'd like more details.
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