Category Archives: Rest

Sometimes, to keep going, we have to allow ourselves to stop.

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“Sometimes, to keep going, we have to allow ourselves to stop.”

—Gretchen Rubin, NY Times Bestselling Author, Podcaster, Speaker

Image from Unsplash by Shane

It wasn’t until I had grandchildren that I learned “happy hour” was a new definition for a nap.

Regardless of my meditation practices, exercise efforts, and nutritional pursuits with the latest super foods, just a handful of hours with our two little ones drains most of the pep from my steps.

With some adjustments to our schedules, we have found ways to include the kids in some of our renewal and recharging efforts, including lots of quiet cuddling with pop-pop and grand-mom.

EXERCISE:

Where and when in your life do you feel the greatest need to stop in order to keep going?

How can you monitor and manage your energy levels to optimize your intentions and actions?

Consider picking up a copy of The Power of Full Engagement if this post resonates.

“When you get tired learn to rest, not quit.”

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“When you get tired learn to rest, not quit.”

—Banksy, an anonymous England-based street artist & political activist

Image from Unsplash by Adrian Swancar

How tired are you at this very moment? How tired have you felt physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually this past year? Besides your overall levels of energy, how would you rate your health, mood, ambition, motivation, and productivity?

These days, few of us are at our best. Some of us may be at one of our lowest points ever, with many having quit due to exhaustion and burnout.

Banksy’s coaching at such times is to rest, to take better care of ourselves, and to help others do the same.

We all may also wish to lower our expectations of ourselves and others, embrace our humanity, and know that our best can differ from time to time.

EXERCISE:

Where would more sleep, a few more naps, and more “you time” for rest and recharge keep you moving forward even if it is at a more moderate pace?

 

When things aren’t adding up in your life start subtracting

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“When things aren’t adding up in your life, start subtracting.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a paper with math problems

Image from Unsplash by Antoine Dautry

A few nights ago I was watching a Netflix documentary series titled “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death,” with Tim Caulfield.

This particular episode was on sleep, and its importance to our overall health and well being.

Through various experiments and interviews with lay people and members of the scientific community, it appears that many, if not most people, have unfortunately subtracted various amounts of sleep from their lives, with considerable consequences in their physical, mental, and emotional well being.

EXERCISE:

Where might subtracting other aspects of your busy life and adding considerably more time with your pillow help things add up far better in your life?

Consider checking out the series on Netfix or at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7532396/ to see what else you may wish to subtract for some other “cheating death” strategies.

Friday Review on Resting

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FRIDAY REVIEW: REST

In our fast-paced world, rest is critical to our overall health, well-being, and success. Here are a few rest-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

Image of a lion napping

 

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

 

 

 

“What did the carrot say to the wheat? Lettuce rest. I’m feeling beet.”

 

 

 

“The pause is as important as the note.”

 

 

 

 

Take Rest

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“Take rest. A field that has rested gives bountiful crops.”

—Ovid, ancient Roman Poet

Close up of a small crop

Image from Unsplash by Tom Ezzatkhah

Mono-cropping occurs when a farmer grows the same crop in the same place for many years in a row. It disproportionately depletes the soil of certain nutrients essential for optimal growth.

A strategy used to optimize productivity of the same field is crop rotation. This is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different crops in the same area in sequenced seasons, allowing the soil vital recovery time.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can and will you insert more frequent or longer periods of rest and sleep into your 24/7, workaholic, overwhelmed days, to lead a more bountiful life?

The pause is as important as the note

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“The pause is as important as the note.”

—Truman Fisher, American Composer

Image from Flickr by Ben Rogers

Do you enjoy music? If so, what types of music do you prefer?

Prioritize this list from high to low based on your preferences:

Pop Hip-Hop Holiday Electronic
Swing Classical Rock Folk
Rap Reggae Disco Jazz
Blues Chamber Country Bluegrass
Alternative Show Tunes Baroque Dance

Although the instruments used in these various forms of music can be different, it is perhaps the pauses, or rests, as much as the notes that are played that give each genre its own special sound.

EXERCISE:

Consider your life as a form of personal symphony. Where would paying even more attention to the pauses, to resting between your life notes enhance the melodies in your world?

Resolving Difficult Problems

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“A difficult problem at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”

—John Steinbeck, American Novelist

Image of sleeping man

Image from Flickr by Or Reshef

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the ability of the unconscious mind to work on a problem that requires a creative solution. Similar results have been gleaned in studies on daydreaming, and its value in producing creative and more original ideas.

Turning inward mobilizes the right hemisphere of the brain. The sleeping or relaxed brain cuts out many distractions, which leads to greater capacity to solve problems.

EXERCISE:

How can you invest in a good night’s sleep, a power nap, or even a bit of daydreaming to more fully tap your creative problem-solving powers?

What the carrot said

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“What did the carrot say to the wheat?  Lettuce rest. I’m feeling beet.”

-Shel Silverstein, Children’s Book Author

Image from Flickr by LollyKnit

Image from Flickr by LollyKnit

Most everyone agrees that we should all eat our veggies and a balanced diet for optimal health.

Exercise and the proverbial “use it or lose it” philosophy is another component to health and wellness. Rest, sleep, and recovery time, on the other hand, often take a back seat to diet and exercise. Here are some key facts that may inspire you to give rest an equal footing with nutrition and exercise:

Rest and Relaxation:

  • Protect your heart
  • Lower your risk of catching a cold
  • Boost your mental power and memory
  • Lower your risk of stroke
  • Improve your mood and feelings of well-being
  • Help you make better decisions
  • Help you lose weight by reducing stress eating
  • Lower the incidence and risk of disease by boosting your immune system

EXERCISE:

What steps can and will you take to increase the quality and quantity of your rest and rejuvenation strategies to enhance your health and overall well-being?

“The problem with doing nothing….”

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“The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished.”

—Nelson DeMille, American author of thriller novels

Image from NickyMenarkayaonline.com

Image from NickyMenarkayaonline.com

We all need a break from time to time to recharge, refresh, and simply stop the frenetic pace most of us keep.

A potential challenge to this usually well-deserved respite is to know, as today’s quote states, when we are finished.

EXERCISE:

Instead of an open-ended period of “do nothing,” please consider actually scheduling it in your calendar. When the time period is up, you can determine if it fits your recharging needs or not.

Consider learning about Dan Sullivan’s Strategic Coach Program, and his concept of Focus Days, Buffer Days, and Free Days.

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

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“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

– Ralph Marston, American writer

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Image from Flickr by Tambako the Jaguar

Imagine you are a high-quality battery in a new electric vehicle. When fully charged, you have ability to transport yourself and your cargo 100 miles. As you plan your trips, you are very careful to determine the exact distances you are traveling – and make absolutely certain you are home or at another recharging station with enough time to be prepared for your next excursion.

Unfortunately, many of us expect ourselves and others to always be at full charge emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually – which is not always the case. We even get upset and frustrated with ourselves and others when we fall short of this unrealistic target.

Exercise:

Consider picking up a copy of The Power of Full Engagement (www.amazon.com/The-Power-Full-Engagement-Performance/dp/0743226755) by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz and explore many of their energy-saving and energy-restoring strategies to help you get back to work and accomplish the important things you desire.

Feel free to reply with your own most effective recharging strategies.