I see you out there. You’re a hard worker and a go-getter, but the one thing you’re not getting is rest.
I get it, I’m like you, and while the concept of a break is a beautiful one, with our never-ending to-do lists, it just isn’t a priority.
To us, we get our rest the moment our heads hit our pillows and our tired bodies hit the mattress.
In reality, sleep and rest are not the same thing, but there are a number of reasons why you need both to be your best.
What’s the one thing science, religion, naturalists, athletes and corporate leaders can all agree on? Rest.
Every doctor will tell you that injuries needs time to heal, every athlete will tell you their muscles need a rest day to repair, every creative knows that the best inspiration comes when you walk away, and many of the world’s major religions emphasize a day of rest as an important part of their doctrine.
Yet with everything in the world telling us we need to slow down, we still turn our hurried eyes away.
Your body needs it
I recently saw a graphic on Instagram that said, “If you don’t pick a day to rest, your body will pick one for you.”
Living the continuous go-go-go lifestyle without giving your mind, body and soul a moment to catch up with each other will leave you destined for burnout.
Lacking in rest leads to nothing but differents kind of lack: Lack of inspiration, lack of interest in your passions, lack of energy and a lack of joy.
Many of us feel guilty, uncomfortable or neglectful when we take time for ourselves, but it couldn’t be more opposite.
Your brain operates just like a muscle, and when you overuse it, you’ll find yourself deep in fatigue.
Not to mention that without giving your body time to rest, you’re leaving your immune system scraps of time to treat and defend itself.
There’s no better way to drag productivity than sickness, and rest can help you prevent it.
It leads to inspiration
It’s said that Einstein came up with the theory of relativity while out on a bike ride.
God rested on the seventh day and you know what creation came next? Us!
Sometimes you have to step aside to let inspiration come in.
As our culture gets busier and busier, more and more research is being done in attempts to show us that work with no breaks can diminish our ability to think innovatively.
Time to reflect
When living a busy lifestyle, you can find yourself living a task-to-task, to-do list kind of life, and you end up losing touch with your big dreams and intentions.
Rest allows for time of reflection that will help you reassess your situations, feelings and commitments so you can get yourself on track with your main goals.
While it may be easy to put time for yourself on the back burner, without it, you’re delaying your journey to becoming your best self.
Cut some time out of your day to spend on you– the world will continue on without you, and you’ll perform better when you come back recharged.