On Rest & Relaxation
Introduction
Rest is an action performed for peace of mind, body and spirit.
Rest is important because our bodies and minds don’t have infinite energy. That is why we need sleep.
Seneca warned us against a life full of busyness. “If we’re busy all the time, life lacks essential rhythm. […] As if we are back in the hammock, we should swing back and forth between activity and rest, taking the latter as seriously as the former.”
Fatigue
"Modern work practices, modern lifestyles and modern technology have combined and conspired to make life in the early twenty-first century ceaselessly demanding."
This incessant busyness leads to tiredness. Tiredness leads to memory lapses, a lack of concentrations and impaired judgments.
Micro-Breaks
Micro-breaks are breaks of 5 seconds or less to pause and reflect.
You can also think about it as a mini-meditation session.
This helps you get out of long periods of procrastination and busyness.
Let's say you've been scrolling on your phone for an hour straight. A micro-break might be just what you need to get out of that trance.
My micro-breaks are a little different. Every time I find myself sitting for long periods of time or procrastinating, I get up and do some jumping jacks, or run in place. This achieves a mental reset and it also helps my body.
What are the best ways to rest?
According to a survey done by Claudia Hammond and featured in The Art of Rest, the ten best ways to rest are:
- Mindfulness
- Watching TV
- Daydreaming
- A Nice Hot Bath
- A Good Walk
- Doing Nothing In Particular
- Listening To Music
- I Want To Be Alone
- Spending Time In Nature
- Reading
You might already be doing some of these already, but I highly encourage you to practice some other ways of resting that you may have never tried.
Different ways of rest may charge your batteries better than others.