How to rest more

One dynamic that is particularly challenging in our culture is balancing our innate needs for rest and movement. When we are super busy all the time, always moving, or regularly tense or anxious, our bodies bring us back into balance by manifesting symptoms that land us in bed so we can rest and rejuvenate and return to homeostasis.

When your goal is wellness, the challenge is developing awareness of what's out of wack and practicing techniques that get you back to middle ground before you get stuck, burned out or run down. We're all different, so what's out of balance for one person is totally unique and may not be the same for another. If you're not sure where you are in the spectrum, you can always ask a trusted friend or family member for their honest assessment.

Once you know what you need more of (or less of), you are empowered to take action to get back to equilibrium. It's a dynamic dance though, which is why I think of wellness as a life-long practice. It's not what you do today or tomorrow, it's the culmination of all the little choices you make every day over the length of your life.

Ok so philosophy aside, there are practical techniques you can practice to bring yourself into balance. If you need to relax more, you can schedule downtime for yourself and practice doing leisure activities. Just like when you begin an exercise program, you're most successful if you take baby steps. Start with just 5 or 10 minutes three times a week.

Start with a leisure activity that gives you something to do while practicing rest and relaxation like reading a book, petting an animal, knitting or painting. Eventually you might add 10 more minutes onto your sessions and a few additional days a week and flex your skills with some intermediate activities such as reflecting on your life, writing in a journal, or drinking a hot beverage in a cozy room. As you work up to a deeper state of peace and calm and become adept at being still, you might try more advanced resting techniques like sitting and looking out your window observing life, or meditating and quieting the mind.

It might seem silly, but I'm sure you know someone who does not know how to relax and rest. It's a skill that can be developed with practice - I promise. And the benefits to your health, your sanity and your well-being are priceless. For more information about what relaxation is and what it isn't, take a look here.