When you take a moment to sit still, closing your eyes and just focusing on the moment, forgetting about all your worries, feeling your chest raise and lower with every breath, how refreshing does that feel?! Sometimes we may find ourselves pushing too hard, trying to tackle too many things at once, possibly leading to initial gains but sustaining this pace for an extended period of time can lead to diminishing returns and burn out.
I’ve been there, I used to believe I needed to leverage every waking second of the day in order to excel, often times skipping breaks and stealing from my intended night’s rest. Working 60+ hours a week and running on fewer than 6 hours of sleep felt industrious, however, significant shortcomings and sacrifices go along with this approach that led me to question, is this the way I want to live?
I’m wired to prefer being busy rather than bored, however, I’m more aware now that busy doesn’t necessarily equate to being productive, and taking the time each day to allow myself to slow down, reset my mind and rest, assists with optimizing how I expend my energy, which in the end actually saves me more time and effort than it costs.
Some simple ways to build rest into your day to optimize performance include:
Morning Breaths – Before getting up in the morning, take a few moments to just breath, this is an intentional way to circulate fresh oxygen throughout your body and to your brain, allowing you to begin the day with a clear mind.
Daily Intentions Hit List – as part of your morning routine, plan to be intentional with your time and establish an intentions hit list. Ensure to consider all aspects of your life to provide some balance to how you plan to use your time, including moments to rest.
Movement Breaks – although this one may seem counterintuitive, adding physical activity into your day is a great way to allow your mind to recharge. This can be as simple as taking a walk around the house, or doing a half a dozen jumping jacks. Again, this helps encourage blood flow and also releases tension that may be building up throughout the day.
Have a Chat – adding a social break can do wonders for our minds, whether it’s connecting with coworkers, our friends or loved ones, it can provide a much-needed microbreak from the day’s demands. Consider combining the chat with movement to further accentuate the rejuvenating effect.
Micro Massages – Taking a few moments to give yourself a massage is another way to help release tension and reenergize. It can be as simple as using your fingers and thumbs to rub your forehead, your cheeks and the back of your neck to notice the pressure releasing benefits.
Allowing yourself the opportunities to rest throughout the day, slowing down and checking in with yourself can ensure the time you do spend on your priorities is used effectively. Rest practices help release the tension that can build up in our body, reset our mind and allow us to move forward in a more constructive way.