Rest is one of those things we all know we need — and yet so few of us actually get. But what if the problem isn't how much time we spend resting, but what we understand rest to actually be?
Rest and Nonrest
According to research, the state of rest doesn't occur from the activity itself, but rather from when there is harmony between our feelings, motivations, and actions. This harmony cultivates calm, confidence, and belonging. By contrast, the state of nonrest is defined by disharmony of our feelings, motivations, and actions, which leads to tension and energy depletion.
We are continuously moving between rest and nonrest. When we feel tense and fatigued, we should take it as a cue to restore harmony.
Keys to Foster Rest
We can cultivate harmony between our feelings, motivations, and actions by embracing the following concepts.
Natural Rhythms
Align with the natural rhythms of the day, month, and season. For example, take a rest as you transition from one task to another in the day and honour how you feel in the winter versus the summer.
Letting Go
You don't have to do everything yourself. Trust and have confidence in others, allowing them to help you.
Safe Relationships
Being accepted without judgment and not having to behave in a certain way is conducive to rest. Invest your time and effort into beneficial relationships and walk away from toxic ones.
Pleasure and Creativity
Appreciate the beauty in nature, music, and art. Take the time not only to take in and enjoy beauty, but to also answer the call to create what you're compelled to create.
Feeling Rested
Mental-Emotional Health
We feel mental fatigue after prolonged periods of cognitive activity. Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state involving cognitive decline, reduced accuracy, and slower reaction time. Symptoms may include temperamental depression, moodiness, and changeability, which may create relationship difficulties and challenges at work, and can sometimes lead to substance abuse.
Rest Rx: Research shows that listening to music and binaural beats helps ease mental fatigue. Having a regular meditation practice may also reduce the negative effects of mental fatigue.
Physical Health
When we're physically fatigued, we can experience symptoms ranging from insomnia and chronic pain to digestive issues, heart conditions, and gynecological problems. While there isn't a biological explanation for every physical symptom of fatigue, researchers have developed an umbrella term for exhaustion-related symptoms, called persistent physical symptoms (PPS).
Rest Rx: Research shows that nonsleep deep rest (NSDR) improves physical readiness, exercise recovery, tension, emotional balance, negative affect, and overall stress. In one study, NSDR was elicited by lying down on a mat in a dark, quiet room and doing 10 minutes of guided meditation exercises.
By Cassie Irwin, ND
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your supplement routine or if you are experiencing persistent fatigue or sleep difficulties.