Why Rest Can Feel So Hard (and How to Allow It)
Now that the summer holidays are fully underway, you might be wondering why it’s still so difficult for you to relax – why there’s that voice at the back of your head saying that you need to work. Many, many others have this feeling too, and it mostly stems from a different understanding of what rest actually is.
When you’ve been working hard for a long period of time (like completing a school year), your brain needs to reset and relax to be able to function well again. Unlike a common perception that rest means sleeping or doing nothing, it’s actually more accurate to define rest as something that is intentional, restorative and leaves you feeling refreshed afterwards. Remember that the brain is a muscle, and as you use it you should be aware of taking breaks and resting – just as you would do if exercising.
Restful activities can vary widely from person to person. While some find sport and cardio to be restful, others prefer activities like reading or cooking. The only correlation among tasks is that the most common activities are those that distract you from your worries, allow your mind to wander, don’t make you feel guilty and give you a break from other people.
However, some of these tasks are specific to how you’re feeling at that moment which is why it’s useful to understand the 5 main forms of rest. When you’re feeling fatigue from a certain thing you can adjust activities to support that specifically.
- Mental Rest – Turning off decision making and stepping back from your to-do list for a second.
- Emotional Rest – Letting go of any pressure you might carry from supporting others emotionally.
- Sensory Rest – Taking a break from screens, noise and bright lights.
- Creative Rest – Releasing the pressure to produce something creative.
- Relational Rest – Stepping back from social interactions that are draining.
It’s recommended that you take 15 minutes per day to rest, but since it’s the summer holidays you can certainly afford more than that! It’s difficult to turn off the productivity that was driving you for the whole school year, but thinking of rest as biologically required and as important as food and drink can help reduce guilt.
If you’re struggling with rest guilt or stress, feel free to contact Hector’s House. We’re always here to support you💚
Blog written by Sian Murison
