How Rest Affects Our Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Health and 5 Tips To Rest Better

How Rest Affects Our Physical Health 2

Do you underestimate the power and importance of rest, like most people these days? Do you know the importance of rest in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health? How do get enough rest?

Rest, the act of taking a breather and taking a break. Putting aside time to take care of yourself and look after yourself. It is a very important concept in caring science, even if it can be a matter of some debate in this day and age.

Especially in a world where productivity is king, many people brag and feel proud of the insane amount of hours they work, or the full nights they spend awake in the library studying. As proof of this, in 2018 half Americans did not use up all of their paid vacation time (US Travel Association 2018). Even if they had the opportunity to rest and recover while being paid, they choose not to, perhaps because they are afraid to take the time to themselves to rest, likely fearful of what others may think of them.

why is rest a matter of importance?

Well, I would point to the impacts of what happens when we do not rest. You often feel depressed and exhausted. Your productivity drops massively, to the point you spend twice as long as you would normally getting a task done. You grow irritable and grumpy, an experience that anyone who had a terrible nightโ€™s sleep can relate to.

These effects are not just tied to the workplace either, they affect you physically. You put on more weight due to stress, your immune system suffers and you feel weak (Besedovsky et al. 2012). The irritability also affects your social and romantic life, as you find yourself to be less patient and are likely less pleasant to be around as a result.

And in this age where many peopleโ€™s mental health is suffering, it is no wonder as to why. Without taking any form of a break, the build-up of stress can be overwhelming, work can feel all-consuming.

With no feeling of escape, and work hours increasing as it can often follow you home, mental health suffers (Alfonso et al. 2017). This can lead to frustration which can all to easily turn inwards towards yourself, as you have a much more difficult time working, at even getting simple tasks done. Even if the main cause for that is simply pure exhaustion.

Highly Sensitive People And Empaths Need To Recharge

Also read The Effect of Stress on the Immune System (And How to Relax Naturally)

Taking time to sharpen the axe

โ€œGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.โ€ โ€“ Abraham Lincoln

I am going to use the analogy of sharpening an axe to illustrate the importance of rest.

When we are exhausted and tired, we are basically trying to chop down a tree with a blunt ax, perhaps even trying to cut it down with a hammer if we hit the point of pure exhaustion.

It takes twice as long to get the same task done, like the ax, representing ourselves is worn out and dull from constant non-stop use. It is much more difficult and exhausting trying to cut down a tree with a blunt ax. It can lead to a sense of hopelessness, that despite swing after swing, the tree is still a long time away from being felled.

But, if instead of constantly hacking away, if we take time to sharpen the axe, to give it a razorโ€™s edge. Suddenly the task at hand will get done much faster, without half as much physical and mental effort, after all, it is much easier to fell a tree with a sharp axe. And with a sharp axe, you can do that without the build-up of frustration, exhaustion and stress both mental and physical, that comes with hacking away for days at a very thick tree, with a very blunt axe.

But, today many people do not feel they have time to sharpen the ax. As they are much to busy hacking and chopping away in order to do so. But I would say that the reality is that we do not have time, not to take care of ourselves. Even if it may slightly reduce what you can do in the short-term, it will greatly help in the long-term.

Our time in life is finite, we do not have enough time to spend all of it hacking away with a blunt ax. Doing so will take forever, and cause us to miss out on many other parts of life, be it relationships or simply being able to take the time to enjoy life.

5 Tips To have enough rest

So then, how do we find time in this busy world to rest up and sharpen the axe? I have listed below a few potential ways that you can carve out some time in order to do so.

1. Make staying sharp a priority.

Self-care is something people often put at the back of their to-do list. So one way to help start might be to bring it forward on your to-do list. After all saying you will do it later when you have the time never ends up really working, as in life there is always something that can come up to claim that time.

So block out time for rest, self-care, and staying sharp. You may initially feel guilty about doing so at first. But from my own experience with those feelings, I would say it is worth reminding yourself that by resting and taking care of yourself, you will become more effective at what you do, and more useful to those around you.

Self-care Is Not Selfish.

2. Take a break from social media and your phone.

Even when we are trying to rest, we often fall into the trap of ending up in the endless scrolling of social media and watching every single story in the news. But this is not the most effective form of rest, as all it does is build to the stress as you feel increasingly frustrated at the world around you due to the endless outrage and controversy on the news.

It is easy to fall into this trap, I have personally done so during my life. But instead of resting it just added to the stress and exhaustion. If something you do at home, in your free time no less, is only making you more irritable and stressed, one way to make more time for yourself is to stop that thing.

Also read How To Relax Instantly: 18 Science Backed Tips

3. Start small.

As with all things, starting small helps. While it might be impossible to imagine spending 2 hours a day in order to take care of yourself, it is much more possible to imagine and therefore take just 5 more minutes a day in order to do so. While this may seem small, this will add up over time. Once you take your first step in making time for yourself the other steps will come much easier.

I would also say it is often easier to carve some time to take care of yourselves either in the early morning or at night. As they naturally tend to be the more peaceful parts of the day, with fewer e-mails, people, and other distractions which might interfere with this valuable part of your day.

4. Use your holiday time.

As mentioned earlier, a lot of people do not use their paid vacation time. This is definitely one way in which you could find some time, even if you are unable to travel halfway around the world. Additionally taking a short vacation has been shown to improve stress levels in certain population groups. (Blank et al. 2018)

5. When you hit a wall, sharpen the axe.

A great way of being able to tell that you need to take a break is when you begin running headfirst into a metaphorical brick wall. This can be in terms of focus, where your eyes just glaze over and you end up in a state of staring at the book you need to read, instead of actually reading it. It can also be in trying to come up with ideas or plan a project, where no matter how hard you try and how many hours you spend, you keep running into the same wall.

In times like this, it is a sign you need to walk away for a moment and sharpen the ax. By doing this, when you return to the task at hand you will be doing so sharper and with more focus.

Being able to begin studying again, without just staring at the page. Or perhaps being able to suddenly come up with a novel idea to a problem at hand, simply because you took a break and were, therefore, able to see the issue more clearly, and potentially from different angles than you were able to before.

Taking Short Breaks Helps Our Brain Learn New Skills

Also read 36 Most Relaxing Songs For Anxiety, Stress And Depression

5 Types of rest you need to actually feel recharged

Of course, in order to rest and sharpen yourself. It is important to know what areas of yourself to focus on. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleย by Stephen Covey suggests that there are four primary domains that we should focus on these being โ€“ Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional.

All of these dimensions are interconnected, an improvement in one aspect will help all of the other aspects. By being able to identify and focus on our needs in these domains, which I go into more detail below, will help allow us to be the best versions of ourselves possible.

1. Physical

To sharpen and work on your physical health, helps ensure that you have the strength and vigor to face the day. After all, if you are tired and sick all of the time, it will be extremely difficult to be productive no matter how hard you work.

At a minimum, it is important to focus on eating right, getting enough exercise, and sleeping enough hours. When life gets hard it is often much to easy to lose track of any one of these, but they are extremely important to try and keep on top of in order to perform at your best.

2. Spiritual

This domain focuses on your sense of purpose in life. It acts as the core of who you are and often acts to guide the โ€œwhyโ€ of your actions through life.

Failure to take care of this part of yourself can leave you feeling burnt out, cynical and jaded. It is very easy to neglect this part of ourselves, due to the fact it is less concrete than a lot of what else that happens in life, and as such can feel less important.

There can be many ways to help build upon this aspect of life. These include, but are not limited to Reading, Practicing Self-Examination, Meditation, Spending time in Solitude, and writing in a Journal. They can also have a more religious aspect if you are that way inclined.

Raise Your Spiritual Vibration.

3. Mental

A lot of work in the modern day is mental work. Though like the body during physical work, your mind can also be dulled if you preform mental work all of the time without break.

Usually the best way to help rest the mind, is not to just try to turn it off, which can be incredibly difficult. But to instead use different parts of it, parts of it that are not the ones being constantly ground down at work.

Hobbies and pastimes can often help with this, be they writing, painting, cooking, or any other hobby that you may have. Things that force you to take a break from the issues of work, allowing that part to rest while you use another part to focus on a different sort of task entirely.

4. Social

We are social creatures, and this ties in very closely with our emotional needs. And while they are written this way in the book, they can also be separated out if that helps.

Taking time to help your social life is important, as it allows you to get the connections and relationships that help make life more meaningful. And also help you not feel as alone in the struggles of life, and overwhelmed as a result.

5. Emotional

Emotional balance is also important. Being able to keep your emotional balance in order, allowing yourself to feel while also not allowing yourself to be entirely controlled by your emotions is needed to live a happy and healthy life.

Take time to sleep enough, soak in the positive and beautiful parts of the world, and potentially meditate, using journals or a trusted friend or therapist can also help you process your emotions in a healthy manner. Though, as with all of the ideas mentioned for the other domains of life, it is best to experiment and figure out what works best for you.

Also read 14 Signs Youโ€™re An Emotionally Intelligent Person

So, to conclude when you feel like you are hitting a brick wall in life. When you feel like you are just going in circles trying to overcome an insurmountable obstacle in life. Step away for a moment, take time to breathe and rest and sharpen the ax. Take care of yourself, and therefore be able to come back stronger for it.

If you want to know more about the importance of rest, then check this video out below:


Importance of Rest In Physical Spiritual Emotional Health Pin
How Rest Affects Our Physical Health Pin

— Share —

,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Depression And Despair: Letting Go And Moving Forward

Overcoming Depression and Despair Important Ways

Depression and despair can feel all-consuming, but they also signal a need for change. Learn how to heal, grow, and rediscover hope with this article by Darlene Lancer!

When reality doesnโ€™t match our desires and childhood coping mechanisms fail us, life presents us with painful lessons that may lead to depression. The patterns we developed in response to unmet childhood needs can strain our relationships.

If we were overly indulged or our disappointment was unconsoled in childhood, we become easily discouraged or more willful as adults. Both responses hinder our ability to adapt to reality. Stubborn self-will can prevent us from finding workable solutions.

Maturity allows us to shed our illusions, accept reality, and take proactive steps to meet our needs.

Up Next

The Art of Forgiving Yourself: 8 Essential Steps to Inner Peace

Art of Forgiving Yourself: Essential Steps to Inner Peace

Forgiving yourself can be one of the hardest, yet most powerful steps towards finding peace. This article is going to talk about 8 of the best things you can do to release guilt and embrace self-compassion.

We all make mistakes and experience failures in our lives. Itโ€™s a part of being human. However, holding onto these mistakes and past failures can lead to negative feelings like guilt, shame, and self-blame.

These feelings can harm our mental and emotional well-being and hold us back from moving forward and reaching our full potential.

This is why itโ€™s important to forgive ourselves. This blog post will explore the importance of self forgiveness and provide solutions.

Up Next

Athazagoraphobia: 8 Signs You Suffer From The Phobia of Being Forgottenย 

Signs Of The Phobia of Being Forgotten: Athazagoraphobia

Imagine constantly worrying that youโ€™ll fade away from peopleโ€™s minds, like you never existed. Thatโ€™s what life feels like for those dealing with athazagoraphobiaโ€”the overwhelming phobia of being forgotten.

Athazagoraphobia is more than just a fleeting thought; itโ€™s more of a deep-rooted anxiety that makes you question your place in the world.

Whether itโ€™s a fear of being ignored by friends, overlooked at work, or forgotten in a relationship, this phobia can affect every part of your life.

In this article, we are going to talk about what exactly athazagoraphobia is, what causes it, and the symptoms of athazagoraphobia.

Related:

Up Next

Caught in the Void: 10 Signs of an Existential Crisis and How to Cope

Signs of an Existential Crisis and How to Cope

Have you ever had a moment where life just doesnโ€™t feel like it fits anymore? When the things that used to excite you now feel like empty rituals, and the world itself seems to have lost its color? Maybe you are going through an existential crisis.

Itโ€™s a sensation that creeps in quietly, yet hits you with a force that shakes the very core of your being. Everything you thought you knew about yourself, your purpose, and the world starts to unravel.

You begin to wonder, โ€œWhatโ€™s really going on here?โ€ If this sounds all too familiar, you may be in the midst of a profound internal shift.

Let’s explore what is an existential crisis, itโ€™s signs and the best ways when it comes to dealing with existential crisis.

Up Next

Unsocial Media: The Real Effects Of Screen Time

Unsocial Media The Real Effects Of More Screen Time

Is social media making us less social in real life? Discover the true effects of screen time on face-to-face connections and overall well-being.

Loss of real-life interaction hampers social development.

Key points

A significant amount of real-life social interaction seems essential for the development of emotional and personal skills.

Research suggests that today’s youth has about half the exposure to critical real-life social interaction that pre-internet generations did.

Trends in poor social development among young people suggest the need for urgent attention and specific strategies to enhanc

Up Next

When Grandparentsโ€™ Love Goes Sour: 8 Signs Of Toxic Grandparents And How To Survive Them

Signs Of Toxic Grandparents

Have you ever noticed certain behaviors that make you wonder if your grandparentsโ€™ love might be a littleโ€ฆ off? Spotting the signs of toxic grandparents can be tough, especially when society paints them as the ultimate source of unconditional love and support.

But sometimes, grandparents might cross boundaries, show favoritism, or create a stressful environment that doesnโ€™t quite feel right. If youโ€™ve ever felt uneasy about their behavior, youโ€™re not alone.

In this article, weโ€™ll dive into the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of toxic grandparents and give you some strategies regarding how to deal with toxic grandparents, without causing family drama.

First, let us try to understand what are toxic grandparents.

Up Next

How a Person with Bipolar Disorder Thinks: 10 Things That Cross Their Mind

How a Person with Bipolar Disorder Thinks

Ever wondered how a person with bipolar disorder thinks? Living with bipolar disorder is often a constant ride of highs and lows, not just in mood but also in thoughts.

One moment, someone might feel invincible, brimming with ideas and energy; the next, they may feel crushed by sadness or anxiety, weighed down by self-doubt and exhaustion.

Understanding how a person with bipolar disorder thinks can help you understand better what they might be going through. Today, we’ll dive into what is bipolar disorder, followed by 10 thoughts that often cross the minds of those who live with it.

Let’s start with what is bipolar disorder.

Related: