Rest and relaxation are as important as appointments and school runs. With ever increasing demands on our time, energy and attention, we are fast approaching burnout! With fight, flight, freeze and fawn becoming the norm, never has it been more pertinent for our mental health and emotional wellbeing to learn about the benefits of prioritising rest.
What do we mean by prioritising rest?
We are not suggesting neglecting duties at home or rejecting responsibilities at work, but we are extending our invitation to book in time for you; time to rest; time to relax and crucially; time to fill your cup because we can only give from the overflow. We all know that depleted feeling when we have given far too much. The vital component to resting - booking it in! Block time out, schedule a class, prioritise space in your diary for quality rest, because it is all too often that which we forgo for another Mother duty.
Why rest? And perhaps more importantly, why we don't...
We are a society and culture that glorifies "doing", yet, in truth - we are ALL exhausted. We go from one doing to another, to the next, and we can barely breathe in between (not consciously at least!) We are fixated on striving and achieving, doing more and doing better. This has become the norm. Our normal state looks a lot like burnout and if we do not value ourselves enough to hear our own needs above the needs of others, burnout will sooner or later become our reality. If this sounds like you, you really are not alone.
Resting is a practice of radical reclamation; honouring time alone in stillness, space for reprieve, and quietude to remember who and what we are.
The Challenge Of Stillness
When we do come to sit and rest we are immediately confronted by discomfort of some kind. If we rarely sit with the intention to rest with no distractions, we are often met with a barrage of mental noise, jumping from one topic to the next, but most commonly the push and pull of the demands of everyday life.
Feelings of guilt may arise about something we feel we "should" have done earlier, or anxiety about something upcoming. Notice how our attention gets pulled to past events that we cannot change and future events that are yet to happen when we just simply stop. Again, you are not alone. Thoughts that appear as if out of no where can trigger stories and beliefs we have of ourselves and others which take us far away from the 'Now'. Being present focuses our attention on the Now, moment-to-moment awareness. Our minds will continue to tempt us anywhere but, Here and Now. We recommend reading Eckhart Tolle's The Power Of Now for deeper insight.
Introducing Quality Rest
We owe it to ourselves to rest and to "be the change" our children, families and friends so desperately need to witness and experience, to get us all away from our devices, diaries and daily doing's. It is a requirement for healthy living that we maintain a regulated nervous system. And as part of a busy week, there must be scheduled rest, quality rest. This is not doom scrolling social media or watching the latest period drama. The type of rest we are referring to is getting out of the head and into the body to resource the inner system.
Resting is not laziness. Quality rest is listening deeply to the body's need to stop and recharge - vital for a well resourced and regulated nervous system.
At The Silence Within, we love to rest by reading in the garden in the morning sun, surrounded by trees and herbs. Morning rays charge the physical body and even just a few pages first thing, sets the tone for the day in a peaceful and focussed way.
Here are a few other ways to deeply rest in early Spring:
Time In Nature - Gardening, Walking and Cold Dipping.
Warmer climes beckon us to spend more time outside. Collectively we are emerging from a particularly long, dark, dank Winter. The more clement weather is very welcome. We can now enjoy snowdrop, primrose and daffodil lined paths, our faces warmed by the Spring sun and the promise of longer, lighter, brighter days ahead.
We recommend as a minimum getting out in nature daily, whether that is taking your book out to the local park, or visiting St. Anthony's Well in The Forest Of Dean for a cold plunge. Walking can be very energising, meandering through the forest or strolling along the beach also.
Perhaps you prefer pottering in the garden or sprouting grains. Whatever brings you closer to nature, your sense of being and the natural rhythms of Mother Earth will energise and revitalise the physical, emotional and mental bodies.
Meditation
Sitting alone in silence is perhaps the simplest and most beneficial way to experience quality deep rest. If we bring ourselves to a comfortable seated position and close our eyes, immediately our body begins to down regulate, where we see that we are ok. It is from here we can bring the mind to relative stillness. There are a plethora of different practices available online so try a few and see which ones you find most accessible and easy to follow. A gentle note of caution - watch that meditation does not become another to-do. It can be easy for shame and guilt to creep in when we make meditation something we have to do. And there is no "right way" - meditation is about presence, not perfection.
Taking A Nap
Taking a 20-40 minute nap during the daytime could be what the body and mind needs to fully recuperate. Napping can powerfully rejouvenate the physical system and calm an active mind. A quick doze can act as an antidote to a long shift on foot or a morning running errands.
Even a day in the office sat at a computer, a 20-minute power nap at lunch can make all the difference. Snooze in your car or take yourself off to bed, but remember to set an alarm. Sleeping through can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm and make you feel groggy - and potentially very late!
Breathe
Deep belly breathing, box breathing, alternate nostril breathing, breath of fire... There are as many ways to breathe as there are people with lungs. We all have a different rhythm, heart beat and capacity for breath. Simply bringing our attention to our breath can begin to relax physical and mental tension. When we bring conscious awareness to our breathing we can consciously direct it, creating space in the mind and ease in the body.
Sound Baths
Soothing rhythmical sounds can drop us gently into a deep state of rest. A babbling brook or the sound of birdsong, listening to relaxing sounds helps to settle and regulate our nervous system and clear the mind. The frequencies of a sound bath are beneficial for emotional regulation and release. The sacred sounds of the gongs, bowls and bells are tuned to particular Hz, that aid in healing the different energy centres, or chakras. The beauty of a sound bath is that you pre-book, making a commitment to yourself to take time out for self-care. And, it is only one hour, but one delicious hour, honouring yourself and the potential to meet like souls. At The Silence Within we host sound baths across South and West Wales at many delightful locations. See our website for more details https://www.thesilencewithin.co.uk/sound-bath-venues.
Deep rest is vital all year round, but particularly when emerging from a long, dark Winter into early Spring. So the invitation is to introduce quality rest time into your weekly calendar and emerge gently, slowly, at your own pace. Remember, not every flower blooms at the same time.
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