Understanding Rest | How to Rest | The Takeaway
Overview
Are you among the many people who feel guilty when they take a moment out of a busy day to sit down and relax? After all, productivity and busyness are held in high esteem in our society, so we are always on the go, jumping from one task to the next.
The result of being constantly on the go, along with outside factors that you may feel you have no control over, results in 55 percent of Americans reporting that they are stressed.[1]
There is nothing wrong with being productive. After all, managing life (let alone trying to get ahead) takes energy.
But there is something important to remember about the lightning speed that our daily rhythms can sometimes attain: taking a breather is vital not just for holidays and vacations but for complete health. And it is nothing to feel guilty about.
Understanding Rest
The word ‘rest’ can be misleading. It can be both active and passive. It can mean a walk in nature, taking in the sights, sounds, and fresh air, or what comes to mind for most people – sitting down or even sleeping.
In any form, rest is an often-overlooked part of a person’s overall health that results in renewed physical energy, mental clarity, and improved physical functions.[2]
Sure, we know that sleep is good for the body and mind and is an integral, vital part of us, but the type of rest we’re discussing here lies somewhere between being busy and being asleep.
The consequences of not taking the time to recharge with proper rest are usually stress and all the potentially harmful outcomes that tag along.
Stress can be beneficial in that if it’s short-term, it can add to our ability to adapt to the same or similar stressors later.[3]
However, when stress becomes chronic (and in our busy world, that can happen relatively quickly), it can lead to several health consequences, such as neurological disorders, cardiac problems (including heart attacks), gastric ulcers, asthma, diabetes, headaches, accelerated aging, and premature death.[4]
How to Rest
The first order of business here is to find the time to relax. That takes prioritization.
We take the time to do many other things, such as running errands and going to work. Of course, these are survival skills, but relaxing should also be considered.
The very first tip to successfully chilling out would be finding a relaxation technique that you are likely to enjoy and make a part of your regular, daily routine:
1) Yoga
2) Walking
3) Reading a book that is not related to work or family responsibilities
4) Meditating
5) Breathing Techniques like the 4-7-8 cycle
6) Listening to music
7) Taking a Bath
The Takeaway
Making these behaviors part of your daily life will not just help you feel better immediately afterward.
Still, they have a cumulative, long-term effect that results in better mental health, improved concentration and memory, improved mood, and less stress. And that’s something we all deserve.
References:
- Daily Life. The American Institute of Stress. (2022, March 30). https://www.stress.org/daily-life
- Helvig, A., Wade, S., & Hunter-Eades, L. (2016). Rest and the associated benefits in restorative sleep: a concept analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 72(1), 62–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12807
- Lucassen, P. J., Pruessner, J., Sousa, N., Almeida, O. F., Van Dam, A. M., Rajkowska, G., Swaab, D. F., & Czéh, B. (2014). Neuropathology of stress. Acta neuropathologica, 127(1), 109–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-013-1223-5
- Rasheed N. (2016). Prolonged Stress Leads to Serious Health Problems: Preventive Approaches. International journal of health sciences, 10(1), V–VI.
