Fact: We all need rest. We need time to quiet down. To slow down. To restore.
Is this comforting for you to hear? Or does it kind of stress you out?
Well for me (Maria Lees – Team Writer) contemplating rest tends to be a source of anxiety for me. I’ll be honest…
People have been telling me I need more rest for a LONG time.
- “You look so tired.”
- “You need to slow down.”
- “Why don’t you just take a break?”
- “You have too much on your plate.”
Statements and questions from well-meaning friends and family, aimed at directing me towards the thing I truly did need: rest.
So why did these astute observations and bits of encouragement touch a sensitive nerve within me?
Because I wasn’t getting the rest I needed. I knew it…but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.
(Perhaps you can relate.)
You see, I’ve always been a worker-bee with a pension for overly crowded schedules, packed to-do lists, and sticky-note-covered calendars. Basically, I’m Type A to the max.
Organization, I’m good at. Logistical planning? I’m your girl.
But rest? Downtime? True restoration?
That just isn’t something that comes naturally to me. People commenting on my obvious exhaustion and impending burnout put a magnifying glass on a struggle that I didn’t fully want to admit to myself:
I was working myself into the ground. And it showed.
If this is feeling a little too familiar, you’re good company. But here’s the thing:
Natural or not, we all need rest.
Here’s the good news:
Finding time for rest does not have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It doesn’t require extending your night’s sleep or finding a bed for a nap.
I call this concept “sleeping while awake.”
I use this phrase to refer to the restorative activities we can incorporate into our daytime schedules (in addition to nighttime sleep.) These should be activities that give our brains and bodies a much-needed break.
Here are a few of my favorite “sleeping while awake” activities:
- Reading
This is not the time for self-help books. Put away your leadership texts or parenting guides. Don’t get me wrong, those books have their place…just not when you should be resting.
Don’t turn your restorative reading time into another project. Instead, choose something just for the fun of it! Read something that allows you to relax.
(Helpful hint: if you feel the need to take notes, this might not be the leisure read you are looking for.)
- Yoga
Yoga is one of my favorite “body break” activities. The combination of breathwork practice and slow stretching allows for the release of built-up tension within both the mind and the muscles.It doesn’t have to take long. YouTube is packed with yoga videos for all fitness levels and schedules.
- Prayer/Meditation
Prayer and meditation are incredible practices for recentering on what matter’s most in life. They provide a sense of purpose and alignment in our lives and can be incredible tools for identifying and releasing potential stressors in our lives. - Walking
There’s just something about fresh air. It has the remarkable ability to clear the mind and restore the spirit. Add in the endorphin-boosting benefits of simply moving the body, and walking becomes the perfect stress-relieving break in the middle of an otherwise busy day.
If you’re like me, a novice when it comes to incorporating rest into your daily life, here’s my advice: choose one activity. Just one. Try to spend ten minutes each day doing this one restful activity and see how it goes! You can always build from there.
When I first started trying to add more rest in my life, I started with reading. I made a goal of spending 10 minutes each day reading a book for pleasure.
That’s it!
Before long, that ten minutes became one of the most cherished parts of my day. It is my sincere hope that you find the same enjoyment and positivity from your ten minutes of rest.
Which activity will you be starting with? Let me know in the blog comments below this post.
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Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
