Have you ever gotten into a competition with someone over who got less sleep the night before? I know I have… multiple times. When I finally took the time to step back and think about it, I realized how stupid these competitions are. Why do we want to be the ones who feel like crap? Shouldn’t we be bragging about getting the most or best quality sleep and rest? Well, I’m going to give you some pretty compelling reasons why those should be a huge priority, so hopefully that’s what you will brag about in the future.
You have to make time to rest. The only alternative is that your body will force you to rest. That can be in the form of illness, injury, burnout, exhaustion... take your pick. Well... not really... Your body will choose that for you too.
The other unfortunate thing is that most of us push through the illness, injury, burnout, or exhaustion (who has two thumbs and fallen into that trap many times... this girl! 🙋🏼♀️).
Why is rest so freakin important? I'm so glad you asked. Let's talk about it!
Let's begin by exploring what I mean by rest. There are 7 different types of rest (According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith):
Physical – taking a time out from physical activities (e.g. taking a nap/sleeping or just sitting or lying down)
Mental – taking a time out from all the mental stimulation we face all day, every day (e.g. staying away from your phone/iPad/computer/tv for a period of time and/or practicing mindfulness)
Emotional – taking a rest from our emotional demands (e.g. going for a walk outside or talking to a friend/family member/therapist)
Sensory – taking a time out from the sensory stimulation (think bright lights). This one goes hand-in-hand with the mental stimulation (e.g. getting away from devices or spending some quiet time reading a book)
Creative – taking a time out from the everyday creative demands (e.g. enjoying that hobby you used to have)
Social – taking some time away from the social interactions (e.g. spending some time alone or saying no to invitations)
Spiritual – taking a time out from the spiritual demands (e.g. meditating, spending time in nature, or praying)
What does it mean to actually rest? It's taking a break from whatever it might be that you need rest from. Spent all day on your feet? Laying down, not moving (much), and/or sleeping would be the correct type of rest. Overwhelmed by the news or social media? Put your phone away for an hour and do something without a screen. Stressed from all of the holiday plans? Take 15 minutes to meditate and/or journal or even say no to a few of the invites.
So, what are some of the big ways to rest?
Sleep (hopefully that's sort of obvious) - sleep is absolutely essential. It's how our bodies recover and repair. So many amazing things happen when we're sleeping...the brain does all sorts of cool stuff... it sorts through emotions and memories and even clears out waste, hormones start repairing different parts of the body including muscles and organs, the immune system really kicks into gear and starts clearing anything harmful out of the system, and body fat burns because of the uptick in human growth hormone (bonus!). When it comes to sleep, a lot of us are not getting enough. 7 to 9 hours is what is recommended for adults. Now does that mean that you jump into bed at 11pm, wake up at 6am, and be good to go? Nope! You have to consider the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and add that on. For the average person, that is usually 15 to 20 minutes. So, getting in bed at least by 10:40 to 10:45, and that's just to get the minimum. I guarantee that if you try 8 to 8 1/2 hours of sleep (+ time to fall asleep) on a regular basis, you will feel better. Try it.
Taking a break from social media – sometimes easier said than done, but it is truly important. I can tell you from firsthand experience the impact this one has. My mental and emotional health was suffering, and I didn’t even realize it until I took a break. Nowadays, I barely get on, with the exception of Instagram. But the nice thing with Instagram, I have a lot of funny dog and cat videos come up, so they make me laugh (vs getting angry or upset). Social media can be great in some ways but can also be really bad for our mental and emotional health. Everyone who posts can pick and choose what bits and pieces of their lives that they want to show. Remember these are only a snapshot. Because we tend to only see the really great parts, it makes the rest of us upset and jealous that we aren’t doing that well in life.
Taking a break from devices – this means phones, iPads, tv, computers, anything with a screen. Your eyes and brain will thank you. First, when we are on our devices, we tend to be looking at something that’s within a foot or two of our face. Just even taking mini breaks by looking in the distance for 30 seconds can help a lot (got that one from my Optometrist. Thank you Dr Denny!). Second, taking a longer break from time to time (i.e. every 30 to 60 minutes take a 10-to-15-minute break or, even better, take a whole day off once per week).
Now for the big question... why is rest so freakin important? Your body is not a machine. It can only go for so long before we hit empty and crash. You need to replenish your batteries way ahead of that if you can. When we are using our bodies and systems to do work (e.g. running the kids around to all of those activities), it can't spend the energy on repairing anything that has broken down. When you are resting, your body can use the energy on repairing. There's only so much energy to go around.
Feeling like there’s no time to rest? Schedule it in just like everything else. Schedule in a 9 hour bedtime so it gives you plenty of time to fall asleep and get good quality sleep. Set alarms on your phone so you remember to take a break from them every hour. Think about you need a break from and schedule it in to your life!
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