The Importance of Rest

                 We live in a world that is always on the go. Whether it is work, school, or family obligations, it seems like there is always something to do. This can be hard on anyone, but it can be especially difficult on those of us living with mental illness. Let’s look at the importance of rest and how to incorporate it into our lives. While I am addressing this need for people with mental illness, I believe anyone can benefit from incorporating rest into their lives. 

                  First, we need to define rest. Rest is a purposeful pause that allows your mind and body to recover, reset, and restore energy. Rest reduces stress, replenishes your emotional and physical reserves, and brings your system back into balance. Rest is more than just sleep. Rest can be anything that replenishes your energy instead of draining it. When you are resting you stop or slow down. You allow yourself to just be. 

                  Rest is important for everyone. Rest reduces stress. It also regulates the nervous system. When we slow down the cortisol levels in our body are lowered. It is important to lower cortisol because when it is elevated it can disrupt every system in our bodies that keep us healthy and emotionally balanced. Our mind is calmed when we get enough rest.  This is important when we live with mental illness because our minds are often on overload with negative or anxious thoughts. Rest allows us to feel grounded rather than overwhelmed. As someone with an anxiety disorder, I know how important it is to find ways to feel less overwhelmed. It is not easy, but rest can help.  

                  Here is a big one for people living with mental illness. Rest improves mood and emotional resilience. When we are fatigued, everything seems more difficult. Rest allows us to reset. When we are rested, we can respond to challenges rather than reacting in negative ways. 

                  Rest allows us to be more creative. I am reading about how allowing our creative mind to take over helps reduce anxiety. (More on that in a future post). When we are rested, we can be more creative. We gain insight, clarity, and perspective. Each of these helps us to express ourselves and engage in activities that bring us joy. Creativity is more than just the arts. Creativity seeps into every area of our lives. So, rest is obviously important.

                  From a health perspective, rest strengthens our immune system. When we are constantly on the go, stress weakens our immunity. When we rest, our bodies are able to recover and repair themselves. This allows us to be healthier.  

                  When we are rested, we can be more connected to others. We are present. We can listen better and engage more meaningfully with others. It also allows us to enjoy moments rather than just pushing through the motions of life.

                  Burnout is a major struggle in today’s world. Rest can help prevent burnout. When we are rested, we are creating a better long-term well-being. Being stressed and working through exhaustion, harms our health and our overall well-being. Incorporating rest into our daily lives can help us not only in the moment but can improve our long-term well-being.

                  Okay. So, now we know some of the benefits of rest. What do we do now? Many of us are faced with busy schedules. We have obligations. Some of us are living with mental illnesses that leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Let’s look at some ways to make time for rest.

                  One of the most important ways to find time to rest is to schedule it. We need to add rest to our calendars just like any other commitment. We do not need to make major time breaks. Try adding 10 minute rest breaks to your calendar. You might schedule an hour of down time to each day. If that seems overwhelming, try every other day to start.  Rest needs to be an intentional part of our daily schedules.

                  As I mentioned, rest does not need to be long. I heard about something called micro-rest. Maybe you sit in silence for two minutes. Or perhaps take five minutes to work on breathing. A ten-minute walk outside can do wonders. Even something as simple as closing your eyes for a minute between tasks can help. The important thing is to do these activities regularly.

                  Boundaries are important. Once you have scheduled rest time, do not let it be interrupted. Set a cut-off time for work or errands. Do not work after your scheduled hours. Honor your time. I used to bring work home and spend just as much time working while not getting paid as my paid work time. No more. When my contractual hours are up, I do not work. It is a way of honoring my rest time. I have learned as a result of both mental and physical illness that I need to honor my rest time.

                  We are often overstimulated. To counter this try creating a low-stimulation zone. In this zone reduce noise, screens, and clutter. Give your mind and body signals that it is time to rest. Turn off tech devices. Lower the lighting. Maybe have a cozy blanket in the area or a cup of tea. The idea is to allow yourself to slow down in comfort without interruptions.

                  Try intentionally slowing down. Walk slower, eat slower, drive slower, talk slower. When we intentionally slow our pace, we are signaling our body that it is time to rest. We are calming our nervous system. This allows us to rest.

                  It is important to rest before you are exhausted. We want to prevent exhaustion. This requires taking breaks and slowing our pace. If we wait until we are exhausted, our bodies and minds are in a constant trap of overdrive and collapse. Scheduling rest and slowing our pace can prevent this trap.

                  Remember that you do not need to do everything yourself. Let others help you. Do not take on added assignments at work. It is the holiday season right now and many of us get caught up in having to keep up with traditions even though we are exhausted. Try simplifying traditions. Ask for help. I know that is a difficult one for many of us. We see asking for help as a sign of weakness, but really it is a sign of strength. It is also a part of putting our needs first. 

                  Technology! Here is a big one for many of us. Schedule times when technology is turned off. You do not need to answer every text. Social media posts will still be there the next day. Leave your phone in a different room. Schedule quiet hours. When we take a break from technology our minds and bodies are able to rest.

                  Rest can be combined with simple pleasures. For instance, you might sit in a comfortable chair with a hot cup of tea or cocoa. Maybe you snuggle under a comfortable blanket. Sitting and listening to calming music can allow for rest. Stretching or doing gentle yoga can help you relax and rest. 

                  Here is another important one. Reframe rest as productive. Often, in Western society we feel the need to be productive at all times. We forget that rest is important. Rest. Is productive. It is not laziness. Rest allows us to maintain our mental and physical health. When we rest, we are better able to do everything else. 

It is critical to understand the importance of rest. Without rest, we are going to collapse either mentally or physically at some point. We need rest to stay health and be productive. As we move through the final month of the year, there will be a lot of demands on most of us. Remember that we cannot meet those demands if we are exhausted. We also do not need to meet every demand. Our health, both mental and physical, come first. So, take time to think about how you can incorporate rest into your daily schedule. Make rest an important part of your daily life. Take a moment here to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Didn’t that feel relaxing? Try it one more time. 

Rest is important. Do not let the hustle of our society keep you from taking care of your health by resting. How will you schedule rest into your daily life? Share your thoughts in the comments.