Rest is Essential and Productive

How often have you answered a casual greeting of “How are you doing?” with “Good. Busy, but good”? Being busy and having a full life are often seen as marks of success and are equated with a person who is doing well in life. All too often, though, we are so caught up in being busy and trying to be efficient in our schedules that we do not equally value rest. In fact, we may feel guilty about resting or associate resting with laziness. But it is actually an essential part of wellness. Our bodies and minds are not meant to run at full speed with no break. Rest is essential to maintaining our health, restoring our mind, and actually making us more productive in the long run.

Rest — both physical and emotional — is critical for the mind, body, and spirit. In our ever-busy culture, we must be intentional about incorporating restful habits and practices throughout our life. Rest does require slowing down but does not have to require large blocks of time. Restful practices can be incorporated in small measures throughout the day.

Gratitude

Practicing gratitude and acknowledging the small things for which we are thankful can be restful and restorative. When we take the time to reflect, we slow down and gain perspective on life.

Meditation

Throughout the day, take a few minutes here and there to focus on your breathing. Meditation can require practice and discipline to bring your mind back to clarity when it begins to drift to other topics, but even a handful of moments concentrating on breath and other parts of your body can be a wonderful way to relieve stress and relax in the midst of a busy day.

Healthy eating

The connection might be less obvious, but our diet has a lot to do with how well we rest. What we eat directly impacts how our body functions. By filling our diet with more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and highly processed foods, where possible, our body operates at its best and can properly rest.

Yoga and stretching

While exercise is great for stress relief, stretching after exercise or even a little mid-day stretch at your desk is equally important for physical health. Incorporating yoga into your routine has the added benefit of nourishing your mind with meditation.

Switching off

In our hyper-connected world, it can be hard to unplug from social media or just plain switch off our devices. Sometimes, it can be downright uncomfortable to function without them. But intentional time away from screens and media is a great way to rest our mind and spirit.

If you are feeling a bit run down or stretched thin, take time to incorporate rest into your life without feeling guilty about it. Remember, rest is both essential and productive.