How well do you rest?
Rest and sleep are not the same. You can’t replace resting during the day with sleeping overnight. In order to truly rest, “The whole system—mind-body—is engaged in a restful state and we are present in that experience of resting.”
Rest can look different for everyone. It can be setting aside time to engage in activities, such as watching the sunrise, can help you feel restful and decrease stress.
When you rest, you give your mind and emotions a break from stimuli. Whereas sleep gives your body a break, rest involves the whole being and not just the body. It allows you to take a break when you are awake to let your mind shut off.
Tips for Mental Rest
Give yourself permission.
In our society in 2023 being overly productive is praised. Feeling like you aren’t doing enough to keep up is a common feeling people have. However, taking rest is essential and the first step is allowing yourself to do so.
Practice Acceptance
You can’t control everything or do everything all at once. Practicing acceptance means you will accept yourself and temper your expectations regardless of how much work you get done.
Be Present
Be intentional and tell yourself, “I am going to rest now.” If you struggle, it may be helpful to ask yourself “Is my mind at rest? Am I truly allowing myself to ‘be’ instead of ‘do’?” You can also try some deep breathing to help yourself be in the present moment.
Take in your surroundings
Noticing your surroundings will allow yourself to be completely present in the here and now. This can help you achieve a restful state.
Examples: spend 5 minutes sitting on a bench, notice the sun on your skin, notice the colors around you, notice the sounds, notice how the bench feels.
Focus on you
Figure out how you’d like to rest. No one will have the same motivations as you.
Examples: Journalling, yoga, watching the sunrise, sitting in the forest.
Rethink the narrative.
Most people tend to attach their successes to their worth, value, and identity. However, it’s important to reframe and shift the narrative to a more realistic view. Such as “if this task does not get done today, it does not mean I have failed. It just means that I will get to it tomorrow.” Though this can take time to perfect, once you have shifted your thoughts, it can lead to a more restful state.
