What do you think of when you see that word? Envy? Vague nostalgia? Familiar comfort? When did you last feel truly rested, and woke up feeling recharged, content, and ready to enjoy the day? If you're having trouble remembering, then read on.
Rest is more than just going to bed at a good hour. When it comes to starting your day truly rested, three areas come to mind ... resting your body through sleep, resting your soul (heart) through contentment, and resting your spirit (mind) through relaxation. How well do you take care of yourself in these three areas?
First of all, where does sleep fall on your priority list? Is resting your body last and least? Do you collapse into bed at night exhausted, feeling badly that you didn't cross everything off of your list for the day? Do you wake up feeling like you need several more hours to feel recharged? Many of us (myself included) feel that we need more sleep, need to go to bed earlier, and wish we didn't have so much crammed into each day. If sleep falls at the very bottom of your list, you likely won't ever feel rested. Simply deciding to go to bed earlier won't happen either, unless you change a few other things. I discovered this month that it was a great idea (and joy!) to cross things off of my somewhat insane to-do list, without doing them! I chose to put it there, I can choose to take it off. How simple is that?
Speaking of simple, ever hear the proverb "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath"? I find it to be very true in my own life ... sleep just isn't worth the time you spend on it if you go to bed angry or frustrated. Phyllis Diller puts a twist on it saying "Don't go to bed angry. Stay up and fight!" That takes us to the second point ... resting your soul. How often do you set aside time to pray, meditate, or simply feed your heart? It's not so much about how much time you spend on it, but how well you maintain a sense of contentment and peace with your life and your choices. Are you always needing something else to change before your heart can rest, or are you happy where you are? We may imagine that it takes a monastic life or misty mountain sunrises or an abundant bank account to achieve true peace, but we choose to be content (or not) every moment of every day. What are you choosing?
The last piece of feeling rested is relaxing your spirit. Do you defer all relaxation to an annual vacation? The occasional weekend? Resting your mind is a daily need, just as much as food, water, and sleep. What if you slept as often as you took vacations? Resting your mental batteries (read: turn them off) should happen often, even if it's only a few minutes at a time. My digital camera has the amusing habit of shutting down and saying "replace battery pack" while gasping out a last shrill beep. Turn it on two minutes later and voila, it takes another half dozen shots! Rest means ceasing from all conscious activity. Obviously ceasing ALL mental activity would leave you dead, but you get my drift. Pause. Stop moving. Working. Thinking. Clear out your thoughts and tasks and lists and just let go ... zone out if you will ... and enjoy the silence. Find that a challenge? I'll admit that I do. Even sitting still and doing nothing for ten minutes can be very difficult, my coaching clients often balk at the idea! Start the easy way and just find an activity that totally relaxes you and requires no effort ... listen to music, watch TV, read a book ... whatever genuinely disconnects you from any responsibility or work and frees you from conscious thought. You need that downtime, and failing to take it only builds up tiredness and stress.
If you find yourself regularly cutting your sleep short, staying wound up all day, and popping the Tylenol to get rid of those perpetual tension headaches, then you're not taking care of yourself ... body, soul, or spirit. You need rest to function properly, and it's NOT a luxury, it's a necessity.
Bethany Rule is an experienced personal and professional life coach, championing human development, encouraging change, and helping you break your own rules. Based in NYC, she works with clients all over the world. Please visit http://www.bethanyrule.com to sign up for your FREE Trial Session, FREE monthly newsletter, or to learn more about coaching with Bethany.
I am worried. I have been biting my nails for... Read More
A friend has this quotation on his office wall: "I... Read More
Are you feeling stressed out? Too many things to do,... Read More
When we think about stress in the workplace, we usually... Read More
The future is nothing but a fantasy or a daydream,... Read More
How much attention is paid to one of the biggest... Read More
I had the unpleasant experience of being pulled over the... Read More
I once worked with a woman whose zest,joy and enthusiasm... Read More
ExcusesWe all have them. It amazes me how creative I... Read More
If you live in the early part of the twenty-first... Read More
We are not designed for long term stress.It causes us... Read More
I have yet to see a scientist talk about the... Read More
It is an inescapable fact, we live in a stressful... Read More
If you have recently lost health insurance coverage through your... Read More
Let's face it. If you are stressed, agitated and flitting... Read More
Whenever we think of 'stress', negative thoughts come into our... Read More
Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your... Read More
My first real job (schedule, time clock, paycheck, boss) was... Read More
Stress is an interpretation of an event or circumstance which... Read More
Workers across America will tell you that stresslevels are increasing.... Read More
We strive for excellence in our lives, going at full... Read More
All stress comes from believing a thought that argues with... Read More
If you've recently experienced loss or are going through a... Read More
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or... Read More
Looking for all of the answers in how to manage... Read More
Aromatherapy is very therapeutic when it comes to healing emotional... Read More
Everyday can be full of stress but we all deserve... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
In order to free ourselves from the pain of anger... Read More
Recently I completed some new workshop engagements in addition to... Read More
Workers across America will tell you that stresslevels are increasing.... Read More
When September rolls around, does it generally hit you like... Read More
There are times in every person's life when things do... Read More
1. The Law of StagnationThis is also known as first... Read More
... Read More
Worry, big or small blocks positive vibrations from entering your... Read More
Do you ever feel stressed? Is stress a regular component... Read More
I'm sure you have heard of IBS, irritable bowel syndrome,... Read More
Imagine driving down the road. You are driving with a... Read More
This is the time for daydreaming about your annual vacation.... Read More
My work often deals with proactive, preventive means to Overcome... Read More
This heading may seem like a contradiction in terms. How... Read More
All stress comes from believing a thought that argues with... Read More
Most people know of the importance of exercise as a... Read More
We all know that stress levels in the workplace are... Read More
Every day we are faced with a situation where our... Read More
* The material presented in this article is provided for... Read More
This is a tool to measure the amount of stress... Read More
Shit happens. I know this to be a fact, because... Read More
We all have it; we live with it daily: stress.... Read More
Stress Management |