Learn how to rest your soul, mind, and body, and why doing nothing is just as important as accomplishing things.
Rest. The word can strike fear into the hearts of people with long to-do lists and people who are proud to be called overachievers. Accomplishing great things doesn’t happen on its own, and getting rest is a big part of the secret to success. Discover the importance of relaxation and how it helps us to be the best we can be. Find out exactly what rest is, the benefits of resting, and what happens when we don’t rest. Then discover easy relaxation techniques you can effortlessly fit into your busy schedule.
What is Rest?
“ So, to prevent fatigue and worry, the first rule is: Rest often. Rest before you get tired.”- Dale Carnegie
Merriam-Webster defines rest as “ A bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities.” Resting the body can include sleeping, sitting quietly in nature, or doing something enjoyable. Resting the mind is mentally disengaging from something to focus on other things. Taking a vacation from work or reading something your favorite author wrote is good rest for the mind. Spiritual rest means focusing on your spirituality in a way that brings you peace.
Not everybody likes the idea of resting. Some people even think it is lazy to rest. Other people would prefer to rest 24/7 and see anything else as painful. Most people understand that balancing resting with times of activity is healthiest. Just how do you do that when you have a lot to do? Some people say that it is during the times when we are feeling overwhelmed by how much we have to do that we need to rest.
Why Does Resting Matter?
“ Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brown
Rest is magical, and that has been proven by science. The body heals from illness, pain, and injury during times of rest. American River Healthcare says that bedrest is often recommended to patients who are recovering. They point out that our bodies can use all their energy and resources for healing when we rest instead of using energy to get up and do things. Rest isn’t just for sleeping, though. They say that something called “quiet wakefulness”, or resting even when we are not asleep gives many of the same benefits of sleeping. Read more from them here: The Science of Rest: Why Resting is So Important for Recovery (americanriverhealthcare.com)
Being stressed compromises the immune system and that makes it harder for the body to heal and easier for us to contract diseases and suffer from injuries. Taking your mind off things, even for short breaks, helps improve concentration and helps keep you from burning out. Psychology Today says rest helps repair the brain. An interesting process happens during sleep. Cerebrospinal fluid “washes over” the brain, clearing out multiple substances that accumulate during the day, and this process cannot happen while you are awake. Sleep and rest are necessary to cleanse and heal the mind and body so we can stay well, heal, and function properly. Read more from Psychology Today here: How Getting Rest Helps Repair Your Brain | Psychology Today
Isn’t Work the Most Important?
“Life is a balance between rest and movement.” – Rajneesh
Work is very important, yes, but if all you do is work, your body won’t rest. Work and rest must be balanced so you don’t get burned out. Clevelend Clinic says to recover from burnout, which can be brought on by too much work, you can distance yourself from what is stressing you. The relentless race to do more, do it better, and receive more recognition than before can be exhausting. Too much work isn’t good, but yes, work is very important. That is why resting so you can do a better job is crucial. Virgos struggle with stepping away from work they are passionate about and you can read about that Zodiac Sign here: Virgo Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
What Happens When We Don’t Rest?
“ I’m just tired, that’s all.”- Anonymous
A lot of bad things happen when we don’t get adequate rest, all of which can be prevented if we rest and relax. Mental focus is compromised when you get no rest. Your health is also compromised. Then, whether you are sick or unable to focus- or both- your ability to perform lags.
You Lose Focus
Medical News Today lists sleep deprivation as a main cause of inability to concentrate, but that is not the only way lack of rest can make that happen. A poor diet can deplete you as well, and your body will be exhausted because you are getting too much of the wrong foods or not enough of the right ones. Saturated fats and sugars can deplete you. Foods high in iron like beef and enriched bread and vitamin D found in foods like eggs and portabella mushrooms add the nutrition and rejuvenation your body needs to concentrate. Exhaustion can also make you forget what you are working for in the first place, but resting and relaxing away from stress and work can give you the break you need.
You Get Sick
The medical benefits of relaxing cannot be stressed enough. Relaxing helps arteries widen, promoting blood and oxygen flow through the body. Heart rate and blood pressure lowers, reducing your risk of cardiovascular problems, strokes, and heart attacks. Relaxation lowers inflammation in the body, thus reducing pain, fatigue, and strengthening the immune system. When you don’t rest, exactly the opposite happens. Your heart rate and blood pressure can be too high. Your arteries narrow, and inflammation goes up. Lack of rest might not make you sick immediately but give it a little time and it will make you sick. When you need healing, some crystals can help and you can read about them here: Crystals for Manifesting Healing
Your Productivity Drops
Lack of focus, fatigue, and illness tie your body up, and keep you from performing well. In a journal article for Oxford Academic, it was reported that people who are not rested are less likely to have a partner, degree, or be physically active and therefore have weight problems. People who did not feel rested also reported issues keeping up with demands of the workplace, and often worked at jobs that were not reliable. The ability to perform well on the job dropped because of the fatigue. They also found that the fatigue doubles the chance they would have ill health which would make them unable to work at all. So, relax and rest when you need to. Your life and job depend on it. Read that article here: Impact of fatigue on work productivity and health-related job loss | Occupational Medicine | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
How To Relax
“ The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”- Sydney J. Harris
It might be easy to tell somebody to “just relax” or “take some time out to rest”, but finding time to do that can be difficult. Even small steps to relax make a big difference. Your body, mind, and spirit all need to rest, and below you can find tips on how to do that easily.
Relax the Body
Your body needs rest and relaxation and there are a lot of different things you can do to give your body what it needs. However, a simple formula is to balance enough sleep with the right exercise and the proper diet.
Sleep
The average healthy adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but some researchers say women may need more sleep than men. Some people insist that going to sleep early enough to rise around 6-9 A.M., but some people do better at other hours than the “recommended sleep times.” It is true that darkness triggers natural melatonin, which helps you sleep, but you don’t necessarily need a dark sky to get sleepy. Even in places that have times when they have 24 hours of daylight like parts of Finland for some of the year, people sleep. Furthermore, some people who work second or third shift, stay up later at night, and rise later in the day. Sleep at the times that are best for you and get enough sleep.
Exercise
What does being physically active have to do with relaxing? It reduces stress. It does this by lowering stress hormones and releasing healing endorphins. These are released by the brain and are mood enhancers and pain controllers. Not only do they do this, but they also help block pain and help make you happier. To use exercise for relaxation, do exercise that makes you happy. Even if you are not athletic, going for a walk at your favorite park or playing catch with your dog is good exercise.
Diet
Food fuels the body, and it creates a chemical reaction. If you get the right amount of nutrition, and eat the things that agree with your body, it will enhance your health. Even if you get very full eating food with no nutritional value, your body will basically starve for nutrition. Food can also be good for your mental health. Eating a meal or even a snack with people you love makes you happy, which relaxes you. Cooking is therapeutic, and a way some people relax, and cooking heirloom family recipes can help you relax also. Read about how magical food is here: The Magic of Food
Relax the Mind
Relaxing physically is important, but mentally, we need to relax too. It’s important to let go of stress, use positive affirmations, and plan and prepare to set your mind at ease.
Let Go of Things
Some people say holding a grudge keeps them from being hurt again, but thinking about it all day isn’t helpful either. There are things out of your control and over focusing on those things will stress you. Reflecting on past mistakes you have learned from and grown past only serves to make you feel bad about yourself and that is not helpful. Thinking about hurtful things somebody said but they apologized for can separate you from them, and it might not be worth it. Learn to let go of things you should not focus on or think about often. It will help your mind relax.
Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations help you to focus on possibilities, happy things, and hopefulness, and problem solving instead of dwelling on fears and coming up with worst-case scenarios. When you tell yourself positive things, it sets your mind up to see what kind of good things are happening and what good things can happen. Positive affirmations reassure you that there are good things to look forward to and you have a bright future. While you are aware that bad things happen, a positive affirmation is something like ‘I can handle whatever happens and I have the ability to solve any problem.”
Plan
Organizing and planning will help relax your mind because you will be prepared. If you don’t plan ahead for things, you may find yourself unprepared, bad at making deadlines, and very stressed trying to throw things together at the last minute. Don’t allow yourself to deal with the problems that failure to plan creates. Don’t wait until the last minute either. You will be less rushed, and you won’t risk feeling overwhelmed if you don’t feel unprepared.
Relax the Spirit
Some people consider the spirit to just be a part of the mind, but the way to relax spiritually is different from the way to relax mentally. Prayer and meditation are ways to relax spiritually, and so is connecting with nature.
Pray
Prayer is communication with your higher power. Some people believe in one god, and others believe in multiple gods. When you pray, you talk to your god or gods. Some people believe that all prayers are heard and answered. If you are having problems, you can pray to your deity for guidance, or even help. Many people feel that talking to their god makes problems more manageable, and others just talk to their god to strengthen their relationship. Read about prayers and spells for spirituality and love here: Spells and Prayers for Love and Spirituality
Meditate
Meditation is focusing your mind on one thing to gain clarity and understanding. There are different forms of meditation, some of which entail trying to completely clear your mind and relax. Other forms of meditation entail focusing on a chant or prayer and others entail focusing on a topic and journaling whatever thoughts come to you. Meditation helps focus the mind away from stress, problems, and responsibilities and on one thing. It is very relaxing.
Connect with Nature
Quiet time in nature helps relax some people’s spirit. Some people feel a deep connection with nature, and time away from the hustle and bustle of city life in a park, the woods, or even in their own garden is all they need to relax their spirit. Focus on the interconnectedness of humanity with all other animals, the plants, the air, the waters, and the sky to feel the oneness with creation. It can be all the relaxation you need.
It might seem pointless to rest when you have a lot to accomplish, but you need to. We can only do so much before recharging our energy centers, and if we don’t our productivity levels drop drastically. Even worse, our emotional reserves can become depleted and that will negatively impact your spiritual self. So, rest, recharge, and rejuvenate. There is more to life than working constantly, and the amazing things you will accomplish will be waiting for you when you are well rested.
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