How Hard Do You Work At Resting?
Lately, I’ve been interviewing athletes about how they cope mentally and emotionally with injury. A mandatory part of their recovery plan is to “rest.” One thing I’ve noticed is that they are not particularly good at resting, which delays their recovery process and can actually cause further harm. I thought rest was a timely subject, especially with the recent observance of Labor Day --a day devoted to “taking a break.” My clients also claim they want rest but they are not particularly good at it. The biggest obstacle to rest, they say? Life.
A muscle metaphor might prove useful here. To build muscle, that is, gain strength, you have to challenge it, make it work. But then, you have to let it rest. In fact, you’ll build more muscle if you wait 48 to 72 hours between lifting sessions than if you just continually lift. In other words, rest is essential for increased growth and strength. The same is true for our mental abilities and emotional regulation. We need rest to restore the source of our strength.
The problem is that we are not particularly comfortable simply resting. Instead, we feel guilty that we are not being “productive” or we fill our time, not with restorative activities but with ones that are depleting at worst and numbing (I’m looking at you “watching TV”) at best.
What if you took “resting” seriously? What if you intentionally thought about it and planned for it, in the same way you would take on any project? Instead of resting being the absence of work, think of rest as being its own entity that deserves planning and space.
Taking Rest Seriously:
Think about what is really restorative for you, something that is not simply absence of work. What might that be?
Now, intentionally carve space for that restful being and note the messages you tell yourself while your resting. How can you change that thinking to be supportive of the role that rest plays in your well being?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you find restful and what prevents you from resting.
