Rest is the key to restoration and connection. Rest is also the way to recharge your batteries and reprioritize your own well-being. Rest looks different for everyone and it is important to rest in a way that supports a healthy reset for your mind, body and soul. Rest is sometimes misperceived as lazy while it is in fact the exact opposite.
Intentional rest is the sort of rest you carve out time for. This intentional time is essential for self-reflection and encourages the act of just being.
What if you started to perceive rest as a radical act of self-care?
What does rest look like for you?
It is important to discover what feels revitalizing for you. For some people rest looks like spending time with loved ones. Rest could also look like time spent journaling, or simply being quiet and alone for a little while.
It is important to consider your time and how you are using it. Carving out time and allotting time for yourself makes it easier to commit to intentional rest. Perhaps it would be helpful to choose a day of the week to commit to rest. If you commit to a day of rest, or a sabbath of sorts, be sure that day is free of work and errands, no matter how tempting it may be to get things done. This refers back to radical self-care. Committing an entire day to rest is of service to Self and the people you share your energy and life with.
Because we are all enamored with, and engulfed in social media and the happenings of the world, rest might look like unplugging. Societally we are consumed by our phones and while technology can help to keep us connected, it is a “double edged sword,” because social media can perpetuate comparison and judgment, while news can perpetuate stress and anxiety. Unplugging is a great way to give your mind a break from stimulation. You could use this time to take a quiet walk or just enjoy stillness and quiet.
Rest helps to cultivate self-awareness as well as stronger connections with others. The idea of radical resting can be an act of reclaiming your time.
Make Rest Your Friend
Particularly in creatives, burning the midnight oil is a result of waiting for inspiration to strike, or bumping up against an important deadline. But, burning the midnight oil can increase stress and negatively affect productivity, and creativity. If you are creative, try establishing a morning routine. The morning is when the brain is fresh and the body is rested. Prioritize the tasks that require the most brain power for the earlier part of the day. Inevitably as the day moves forward willpower decreases. This suggestion will help you to capitalize on a well rested body and mind.
Give Yourself Permission to Nap or at least Take a Break
A nap can serve as an excellent recharge helping you to become more alert while decreasing fatigue. You do not have to a lot more than twenty minutes for a nap. In just twenty minutes you will restore depleted energy. Instead of afternoon coffee, try an afternoon nap.
When a nap doesn’t work for you it is as important to take an intentional break. A break can be as effective at resetting your energy.
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