True Rest
The holidays, the end of the year, and life in general can feel chaotic. In our modern, chaotic, world with the hustle and bustle of life, we tend to minimize the importance, or even devalue, rest. When we do “rest”, we’re often watching a show or scrolling on the phone. Rather than “resting”, we’re really just “distracting”. True rest comes with an opportunity to reflect, as well as a restoration and recharge of your spirit.
The opposite of rest is burnout.
After this weekend or holiday, will you go back to your routine feeling recharged and ready? Or will you feel unclear, empty, or a bit frazzled? Prioritizing rest can help to prevent burnout. It can also help you identify what recharges your energy and spirit, or what zaps your energy. By identifying these, you can clarify your vision and your actions for the future.
Give yourself permission to take time for spiritual rest.
Find a quiet moment where you can, without distractions, whether it’s in your home, or while commuting in the car. In our productivity driven world, rest can feel unproductive. But rest can also be action. For example, taking a 5 minute walking break at work can actually make you more productive than not taking a break at all. Essentially, you give your brain time to step away and reset, and give your body and mind a boost of energy and healthy hormones. Rest could be doing “nothing”. But, productive, recharging rest could also be:
- Journaling or doing a devotional
- Going for a walk in nature
- Meditating, deep breathing, yoga, or getting in the zone with another activity
- Connection with family, friends, or community (or on the opposite end, prioritizing some alone time if that helps you recharge)
- Creative time, or time with your hobby (painting, baking, gardening, playing music, etc.)
What is important about your version of rest is that you feel a spiritual restoration or recharge. You have time to think, reflect, and therefore, change future actions. You might do this rest practice alone, or with your family. Ideally, practicing rest will help you get clear on what is important to you, what supports your well-being, and help build resiliency against stressors.
Rest allows for clarity.
You might discover that rest for you is quietly working on a project (you feel calm, content, what you’re doing matters to you), while the opposite of rest for you is watching the news (you feel triggered, anxious, or worried). So, in the future, you can prioritize project time, and either watch the news less often, or find a different way to stay up to date on the news that is less triggering. Spiritual rest can help you lean into more intentional action, and align your actions with your values.
Spiritual rest can help you feel restored and refocused during a time that has been busy, chaotic, or just full of distractions. We talked about productive rest above. However, rest can also be a few quiet moments of reflection. Prioritizing a few moments for intentional reflection throughout the week is like a tiny massage for your mind. You can get really clear on what is working, or what is not working right now. Even though life has been chaotic, what can you celebrate about your actions lately? You did 100 things today, which of those things felt most fulfilling? Can you delegate tasks to others? How might you engage with stressors differently? What could support you in aligning your actions with what you want for the future?
Written by: Stephanie Anklan, Registered Dietitian
