Rest is so much more than sleep. Our minds and bodies also need rest from things like mental stimulation, social encounters, creative endeavors and emotional outputs. Taking time to truly rest your mind, body and soul is the ultimate self care regiment and a direct line to ease, meaning and joy at work, and in life!
SHOW NOTES
On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work, our hosts go deep on rest. Of course, there is sleep, but oh so much more. We expend different kinds of energy throughout the day – mental, creative, sensory, physical and social. Consider one meeting in your day – you use mental and possibly creative energy, if you are on Zoom, you are taxing your senses by what you can (and what you cannot) discern from Zoom and you are probably using some of your social energy as well. How is that we renew and restore? No question rest is a big part of the ease, meaning and joy equation.
Why do We Working Women Need Rest?
According to Saundra Dalton-Smith in The 7 Types of Rest that Every Person Needs, “[w]ithout attention to rest, we are creating a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals.” According to psych central, 70 percent of visits to the doctor are due to stress-related health issues. “Rest is the only way to engage the part of our nervous system that allows for relaxation.” It is literally vital for our physical and mental health.” The 7 types of rest that every person needs | (ted.com)
What Does the Data Say about the Effectiveness of Rest?
Researchers at Stanford did a series of experiments looking at the effects of walking on creativity, as measured by a test of divergent thinking—which asked people to come up with novel ways of using an everyday item, like a brick or a doorstop. The researchers compared participants’ performance under four conditions: while walking on a treadmill, while seated inside, while walking outside, or while being wheeled outside in a wheelchair. Their results showed that walking and being outside each separately led to better performance on the test. Moreover, in one experiment, the researchers showed that the benefits of walking on creativity did not fade immediately, but carried over into performance on future tests. ”https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_resting_more_can_boost_your_productivity
The company Basecamp added another day to the weekend and found productivity unchanged. Workers got done in 4 days what had taken 5. 8 Minute Read Why Restorative Rest Makes You More Productive And How To Achieve It
How Do We Achieve the Restorative Rest
Whether you schedule a walk with a friend (or by yourself), commit to get up from your desk once every hour to get a glass of water, meditate for 10 minutes before you start your day or book your solo vacation – get it on your schedule!
If you want to restore your creative energy – get inspired by listening to music, getting outside in nature, watching the sunset or enjoying beautiful art. If you want to restore your physical energy, sleep – of course, but also just sitting. If you find yourself irritable and unable to concentrate, you may have expended too much mental energy – which is classic Kirsten. Schedule a time to take a breath. Crina schedules lunch and commits to healthy, nutritious food and it is an anchor in her day and restorative in many ways. If you are on sensory overload – turn everything off and shut your eyes – just for 10 deep breaths – and avoid going home and turning the tv on – find some quiet. Emotional energy is complicated – are you holding others emotions or has life just sent you on an emotional roller-coaster? Identify what you need – maybe you need to authentically express your emotions in a safe place or to wrap a metaphorical quilt around your tender soul? Social rest is an obvious one for those of us who are introverts – we need time to ourselves, and so do those of us who are extroverts – we just tend to need less of it and sometimes not realize it. Spiritual rest is the energy to find deep meaning, a sense of purpose and belonging and love. When those things are missing from our lives, it may be time to up our spiritual energy quotient. It could be faith or religion, but Dalton-Smith suggests that you can cultivate a sense of purpose with music, uplifting and inspiring videos, focusing on the magical – such as the bloom of a flower or dew on a leaf – and then going back to these moments when you feel disconnected.
Check out Dalton-Smith’s article above – it is a rich trove of ideas and the inspiration for this show.