Ways to Rest

I’m hearing from friends and clients that they are feeling overwhelmed and tired. This time of year seems to bring a particular type of overwhelm. The many holiday events, the shopping and gift wrapping, the extra cooking, all add to already busy lives. While there are a lot of demands on our time, it is important to find ways to rest. Here’s the thing: we are an evolving people. Our bodies evolved to be in harmony with the seasons and cycles of the earth. The frenetic way western culture is set up GOES AGAINST the ways we have evolved. We aren’t made for a 24-hour screen time electric illuminated life. We just aren’t.

Humans evolved in a softer way, to follow the sun and moon, to live by firelight in the dark months and to work in the fields during the long days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, where I live, we are in a time of darkness, when the days are shorter and chilly. We are meant to be huddled around the firelight, going to bed early, engaged in quieter activities like repairing things in preparation for the growing season. We are meant to be resting.

Rest comes in many forms, some more subtle than napping. Naps are nice but we need a deeper kind of rest. One quite urgent rest need is a respite from screens. We can hardly escape them, they are everywhere. If you can, I suggest that your build in some intentional screen-free time, each day if you can. A nice alternative is to have a weekly screen sabbath, such as taking Sunday off from all but the most essential smartphone needs. This gives your eyes and nervous system a rest.

Another restful practice includes walking in nature. This is another evolutionary need that our bodies have. We humans evolved in sync with nature, we are meant to be outside, amongst trees and fields. When we spend time in nature our whole system gives a sigh of relief.

Other practices include enjoying silence, engaging in creative activity such as sewing, painting, or cooking. These activities shake up our busyness, returning our bodies and minds to a slower pace, a pace in sync with natural rhythms rather than the frenetic pace at which many of us live.

Rest makes space for reflection, allowing us to know ourselves. Rest calms the nervous system. Rest fosters creativity and the imagination. Rest helps us remember who we are. We are human. We have limits. We aren’t meant to be perfect or constantly productive, or continuously scheduled. We are evolved rhythmic beings, meant to follow the sun through our days and the moon through our nights; to follow the sun through the seasons and the moon through its phases. As we ease our schedule, we naturally find a healthier and more peaceful way of living. It leads to less anxiety which leads to lower blood pressure which leads to a healthier body, mind, and spirit.

As we venture further into the holiday season, how can you find ways to rest?

Sending love,
Janet