People have glorified the idea that exhaustion proves productivity. In her book, The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown talks about PLAY & REST as being important in living a wholehearted life. We already spoke about The Importance and Value of Play in our Lives, now let’s look at Rest.
We sometimes brag as to how little sleep we need to function, but that is not taking care of ourselves. Although sleep is important and our body needs it, rest is not just about how much we sleep. It involves our whole being not just our body.
We have all gone to sleep with our brains thinking a mile a minute about tomorrow and all that it brings. Rest is about taking time for ourselves. It’s forgetting about work, kids, spouses, friends, troubles, and just taking a quiet moment to ourselves. Rest is about not having a commitment to anyone but ourselves. It’s carving out time in our schedule to breathe, while not letting anything else invade our time.
5 tips to help our body rest and repair:
1. Unplug
Step away from cell phones, computers, turn off alarms and notifications, and take some time to be a human being — not a “human doing.”
2. Take a Nap
Napping might not be realistic for all of us every day, there’s scientific evidence suggesting we might want to sneak a daytime rest when we can.
3. Try Journaling
Journaling doesn’t require great writing skills; all we need is a pen and notebook. Two journaling techniques to try:
3.1 Worry Journal: 30 minutes before bed, write out fears, worries, and troublesome experiences.
3.2 Gratitude Journal: Each day, write down three things we’re grateful for.
4. Get Some Fresh Air
Nature heals our brain, reduces cortisol, reduces inflammation, and shifts us to a calm, happy, mindset. Taking a walk in a park for 30 minutes a couple of times a week can make a big difference.
5. Practice a Daily Ritual
A daily ritual can be as simple as a cup of tea or coffee, sipped in peace for 15 minutes, read a book, do a five-minute meditation, or a hot bath.
Pick one Rest tip and commit to doing it. Mark it off on the calendar, and make it happen. Religiously. We have to show up for ourselves. Let us know what tips work best for you and what is your rest ?.
My play is learning to draw. My 7 year f granddaughter is giving me lessons.
My rest is walking alone outdoors and being intentional about deep breathing.