We all need to rest. But we don't.
This week a client of mine said: "Going to bed early is a luxury."
Another client said, "I need to prioritize "sleep, even if it's selfish of me"!"
Third client who's been battling with COVID and said, "I haven't been able to sleep at night and I feel exhausted." When I suggested that she takes a day off from work tomorrow, she took a deep breath and eased into it as if she had been waiting for someone to give her permission to prioritize her own needs.
We all need to rest, and we know this intuitively, but we don't rest.
Top athletes understand and practice deep recovery, for peak performance.
Rest and Recovery are the foundation of good health.
So why don't we rest? Well, we all have different narratives about rest. Here are some of the most common ones I hear from my clients,
I'll rest when I'm dead.
Rest is another disguise for lazy.
I want to rest, but I just can't.
Which one of these resonate with you the most?
For me it's I want to rest, but I just can't.
Most recently, when on vacation, I found it difficult to unplug, unwind, and rest. My mind was racing, body restless, it was challenging to do the most natural, which is to rest.
At times, stress seems more familiar, than rest to many of us. can you relate?
Many of my clients, and this was me too, are spending day-to-day pretending to 'function' in this high stress, fast pace lane of life. Urgency seemed to be the norm, and everything seemed important. It's no wonder, our minds and bodies are constantly in overdrive.
This endless cycle of urgency, priorities, important work leads to #burnout, decreased #creativity, and impaired #decision-making at work, and it impacts our health. Overtime, more serious health conditions present, like cancer, inflammation, metabolic disease, etc. and we wonder how could this have happened to me? The price is health, and it's a steep price to pay.
GOOD NEWS is that by incorporating regular periods of rest into your daily routine, you can improve your focus, productivity, and overall wellbeing by 10x.
Over time, we can give ourselves permission to rest, just like I give permission to my client who was battling with COVID to rest. And, here are some benefits of rest that she experienced and what you can expect too.
Nourishing Benefits of Rest
Rest isn't just a luxury; it is a necessity that can fuel your wellness journey like nothing else.
Benefits of rest include:
Stabile blood sugar (goodbye sugar crashes). Grab my Free Break Up with Sugar Guide.
Reduced cravings for processed food.
Reduced intake of caffeine, alcohol, and other substances.
Improved mood.
Stable energy throughout the day.
Reduced inflammation, improve .
Improved Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
Increased O2
Pay attention to your health and symptoms, because if you continue to devalue rest, you may notice symptoms like inflammation, digestive upset, frequent illnesses occurring more frequently.
We tend to start extreme when things go off track, but instead of adding more, try embracing the power of less. So before adding supplements, eliminating foods, or tweaking your workouts, I always recommend prioritizing rest. This applies to almost everyone.
How to Implement Rest to Experience Nourishing Power of Rest?
Warning - Rest for you may look different, than rest for someone else, and it may even look and feel different than you had expected. Here's how to implement rest to experience nourishing power of rest.
First, define what rest looks and feels like for you.
For you, rest may look like, sitting quietly while breathing intentionally, or attuning sounds around you, or being outside in nature while reading a book or listening to music, or doing absolutely doing nothing. For overachievers and type A (aka me! and most of my clients) doing absolutely nothing is practically impossible at first, so I found that focusing on my breath or sounds in nature helps me rest. This surprised me, because that's not what I thought rest would look and feel like for me. An experienced coach will help guide you to find your preferred type of rest, so you can tap into nourishing power of rest and gain all the benefits.
YOU will know what rest feels like, it will be intuitive, and nourishing. Trust that feeling.
Second, when setting your schedule for the week, start by scheduling time for rest.
Block off your rest time. Yes, that may sound extreme and even odd to some, but it gives you visibility of your calendar, what may impact your schedule, which has a downstream effects of your energy and mood. Late evening dinners, events, or travel will likely impact your sleep, which may impact your energy for next morning and mood also.
On days and weeks, filled with multiple late business dinners, travel, late evening events, be sure to schedule extra rest time.
Rest time should occupy the majority of your daily schedule, sleep should take up minimum 8hrs of your daily schedule. I know, that may sound extreme! But rest is the core pillar of health, if you nail down your rest/sleep/restore time, you will become unstoppable, like an Olympic athlete, you will uplevel your performance, and feel alive.
Third, pay attention to the energy leaks in your life, at work, your surroundings.
Choose to add more time for rest on your calendar.
Choose to delete or delegate what takes away your energy.
Choose to prioritize your needs, which include rest above all.
Become intentional about whom and what you give your time and attention.
This is how to unlock the nourishing power of rest comes and feel alive.
Remember, taking the time to rest and recharge isn't a sign of weakness; it is a strategic move to enhance your overall performance and wellbeing.
Practical Guide to Feeling Alive
Here are some practical tips to help you harness the nourishing power of rest and feel alive:
Establish Healthy Boundaries: Define and set clear boundaries between work and personal time. I help my clients do this in their coaching sessions, it's very powerful to feel in charge of your schedule, your life. It looks like this: avoid checking emails or taking work calls during your designated rest periods, on vacation, during dinner time with family, etc.
Practice Mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness practices such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. Start the day with a mindfulness practice, or end your day with a few cleansing breaths. It's doesn't need to be complicated or overengineered, it can be simple and intuitive. These techniques can help calm your mind and promote relaxation.
Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Using a tracking device to check your REM and Deep sleep. To improve your sleep metrics, create a soothing bedtime routine and ensure your sleeping environment is conducive to rest.
Take Breaks: Incorporate short breaks throughout your workday. Step away from your desk, go for a walk, or indulge in a quick stretch to rejuvenate your mind and body. It can take just a few min, but those minutes will be more valuable and make you more productive than sitting there. So take a break!
Engage in Nourishing Hobbies: Dedicate time to activities you enjoy outside of work. Whether it's painting, gardening, or reading, engaging in hobbies that nourish you and make you feel alive, can provide a deep restorative rest and a much-needed mental break.
You can easily enhance your performance, boost your creativity, and foster a healthier work-life balance by implementing these practical steps into your daily routine withing a few personal coaching sessions and my support. It's what I love to do, empower my clients to prioritize their own needs, like rest.
If you don't know how to get started, remember, keep it simple and intuitive. Rest is not a luxury reserved for the few; it is a fundamental need that you can prioritize to thrive in your personal and professional life. Embrace this mindset with support of a coach and watch your health 10x, your performance skyrocket, your life expand in the most nourishing ways you can possibly imagine.
Create more time for rest in your busy day and start living your best life today.
During your complimentary health audit, I'll share with you 1-3 personalized recommendation to implement today to help you feel more rested.
Unlock your full potential and reclaim your greatest wealth, your HEALTH.
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