If you read this and think ‘I’ve no time to rest’ you, of all people need to rest and if rest means an excuse to move less and sit more, then you too need to read this!
Rest means a change, a break, a respite from what you are doing. It is as much physical as it is mental. Therefore rest impacts on your mental and physical health, both positively and negatively depending on how you choose to use it in your life.
If you have been sitting or standing and your body feels heavy and weary, move it, stretch it, bend it, work it. It would be easy to fall into the trap of overcoming the weariness prolonged sitting or standing brings to your body, by sitting and continuing to be still. However, the fatigue felt from the effect of being still for extended periods, can be quickly and easily remedied through movement. Stretch, reach up, walk, side bend, crouch. MOVE . YOUR . BODY!!
Taking ‘brain breaks’ by turning your attention to a different mental activity rests your brain, allowing it to focus more clearly when you return to a task. If your mind is spinning and not able to draw satisfactory conclusions or closure, work hard at bringing your attention to the here and now. Concentrate all your attention on the process of a specific physical task. Outwardly or inwardly verbalise what you are doing; making a drink, clearing your desk. More effective still, get up to move, stretch, bend and work your body in way that is different from what you were doing.
HOWEVR, if you are doggedly exercising, working or living in a pattern that is relentless and leaves you feeling exhausted and drained week after week, you too need to reflect on the changes you need to make, to break the erosion on your mental and physical well being. In this context you need to allocate time to take a break from the lifestyle or activities that are creating this depletion on your reserves.
The concept of rest may not fit neatly into your life plan. It may represent too much down time or wasted time that could be otherwise better used. Or you may feel that rest is for the frail or the lazy or for the ‘going no where’ people. Rest, in its entirety is a vital aspect of human existence, much like sleep. The more you ignore its necessity the more you run the risk of draining all your reserves to the point where your health can seriously fail. This in turn can take significantly longer to recover from compared to taking short but regular and consistent ‘rest investments’ as part of your daily life.
Likewise, if you are recovering from ill health, which as I write I am, forcing your body to perform on any level before it is ready, again erodes your reserves. The fact that this is maddening and frustrating beyond belief, as you watch your life seemingly stagnate, is a reality one needs to face. It is more about managing your mindset, listening and respecting your body, as opposed to allowing yourself to be madder and more frustrated than is one’s norm… This is incredibly challenging but unless you respond rationally to your physical health, your mental health can become as great an issue to remedy and vice versa.
So my parting gift to you and to myself, is to give yourself the respite your body needs, at any given point in time. This will facilitate greater longevity for you to be healthy enough to live the life you want to live.
Liv Copsey 20th March 2019 at 10:48 pm
Loved this! I always think I need to rest more… ie flop on the sofa or sleep but actually this is teaching me I need to do other things, often more active, to help me relax and switch off my over busy mind. Loving the blogs and the Simply Move class (I’m aching from Monday – I guess a good sign?!). Keep sharing all your insights, thanks! Liv x
Rachel Kili 21st March 2019 at 8:52 am
Hello Liv
Thank you so much for feeding back your thoughts. I am delighted to hear that my blog and the Simply Move! class are proving to be so helpful. Keep up the great work of investing in your health!
Best wishes
Rachel
Verity Doust 21st March 2019 at 7:38 pm
Love this post Rachel, thank you. Really insightful and helpful thoughts on what rest is and how you can take what you need from your suggestions. I’m not good at resting and need to do more of the right type! Verity xx
Rachel Kili 25th March 2019 at 11:35 am
Hello Verity, I am so pleased that this blog was useful for you. I too need to rest more (the right kind of rest…!) so you are not alone. Keep plugging away at it!
Best wishes
Rachel
Helen Morrison 24th March 2019 at 8:34 pm
Another brilliant blog,thank you.Hope you’re recovered soon.
Rachel Kili 25th March 2019 at 11:36 am
Hello Helen, yes definitely on the mend thank you. Thank you too for the feedback, it’s very much appreciated.
Best wishes
Rachel
Elly Land 1st April 2019 at 8:07 pm
Invaluable information and a useful reminder Rachel of this most overlooked aspect of health and wellbeing. Consistently changing things up really helps me maintain focus and clarity. I’m learning more to ‘listen’ to my body rather than ploughing on through. It’s always harder to find the motivation to do some gentle stretches rather than slump but I will definitely keep trying! Thanks for your words of wisdom as always.
Rachel Kili 4th April 2019 at 12:21 pm
Hi Elly, brilliant feedback and insight. You are so right the instinct to slump or just plough straight through is one we all could do with restraining at times. Finding that middle ground can be a challenge for most of us especially when our minds and diaries are full, centering our focus away from what our bodies need.
Keep on keeping on!
Rachel x
Amanda Eccles 8th April 2019 at 3:22 pm
As always enjoy your blog particularly as its too far for me to come to your classes. Sorry you’ve not been well and hope you are feeling better. Can’t do your classes but I have got into mini programme of Pilates. I do it home 3 times a week and think I’m beginning to see small improvements
Rachel Kili 8th April 2019 at 3:25 pm
Hello Amanda
How lovey to hear from you. Thank you for your kind words.
I am very impressed that you have found a home programme of Pilates that works for you. Brilliant!
Best wishes
Rachel