Giving Ourselves Rest
Sleep is not enough. A vacation is not enough.
Exhaustion is a serious concern for too many of us, and unfortunately, sleep alone doesn’t fix the issue. Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., the author of Sacred Rest, writes that “rest is the most underused, chemical-free, safe and effective, alternative therapy available to us.” Here are the seven rests our body and mind need to combat chronic rest deficits.
1. Physical rest: Not surprisingly, the first rest we need as humans is physical rest. This is a rest from the physical activities that fatigue us. Sleep, relaxation, and napping fall under the category of physical rest. Paradoxically, so does "active" physical rest (as much as it may sound like an oxymoron). Active physical rest refers to light, restorative activities, such as yoga, stretching, or massages.
2. Mental rest: If you are a person whose brain turns on the second you hit the pillow, you may be struggling with a mental rest deficit. Sleep is helpful, but never feels restorative enough. Relying on coffee to get you through the day may work in the short-run, but in the long-run further perpetuates racing thoughts, worries, or mental processing. Taking short breaks throughout the work day, or journaling before bedtime helps with active mental rest. This allows for something called "thought diffusion." It creates distance between thoughts and emotions, giving space to observe thoughts as they flow in and gently allowing them to pass without placing any pressure on them to move faster or slower.
3. Sensory rest: We live in a world of constant stimulation, so by giving ourselves intentional moments of sensory deprivation to help recharge allows us space from being overstimulated. Ideally, walking away from the sensory input for at least 45 minutes before bed gives our nervous systems time to settle. Another helpful exercise is something called "Five senses grounding." Five senses grounding allows us to focus on one sense at a time and become present and grounded within it.
4. Emotional rest: Emotional rest allows us the space to be authentic. If someone asks you how you’re doing after recognizing you are visibly upset, and you respond with, "fine," such a suppression of emotions places added internal pressure on you. Instead, we can allow ourselves to be authentic, stating, “I’m actually really frustrated with ______.” This release and authenticity allows our emotional circuit to feel more rested. Emotional rest also means surrounding ourselves with others who help provide emotional peace.
5. Social rest: Do you gain energy from others, or do you feel drained after spending time with others? Understanding the limits of our "social battery" can help us realize when we need to recharge. This same kind of understanding of our loved ones can be helpful to be supportive, as well as being supported.
6. Creative rest: One way to achieve creative rest is to surround yourself with inspiration while simultaneously taking the pressure off having to "do" something with it. For example, surrounding yourself with nature and simply allowing yourself to feel. Creative rest can also look like stepping away from a problem or project for some time to allow your brain to recharge without pressure.
7. Spiritual rest: Finally, our body and mind may crave spiritual rest. Spiritual rest means connecting on a deeper level with something greater than ourselves. This can mean adding prayer, meditation, or purpose to our lives. We do this weekly in Angel Aid by connecting to the sense of community creating acceptance and intention. This connection and rest can also be reached through a church, a volunteer program, community outreach, or even nature retreats.
There is one additional bonus that I would add to this list, that we didn’t speak about on Thursday.
8. Cellular/systemic rest: Cellular/systemic rest is the rest of the whole body system from an internal level. What we put into our bodies matters. Processed foods, junk foods, or high-fat/high-sugar foods are extremely difficult for our bodies to digest. Much of the energy we produce goes into the digestion of these foods, which leaves us feeling fatigued, tired, or lethargic.
Giving our body cellular/systemic rest means incorporating foods that are healthy, easy to digest, and provide restorative, oxidative stress protection. Further, being mindful of caffeine consumption to give our adrenals rest is equally as important.
To truly combat exhaustion and burnout, our job is to tend to each of these rests by examining our lifestyles. If we start with small pockets of rest each day. Some rests may be easier to facilitate than others, but what’s most important is that we begin to refuel and recharge our bodies and minds in many dimensions.
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Keep being awesome,
Pamela
