Flourish Series Part III: Getting More Rest

Being well rested will make you better at all the other goals you want to achieve.

Many of your goals – whether they are New Year’s Resolutions or not – focus on DOING: achieving, improving, growing. Many goals add more to our plate: more exercise, more learning, more career moves, more family time, more hobbies – all kinds of MORE.

But I want to focus on a less exciting but essential foundation for your flourishing: REST.

Being over-ambitious in our goals can lead to a quick burnout and disillusionment.

Making rest a priority, along with one or two other key growth areas, can be a recipe for achieving your goals while feeling great in the process.

Rest: It’s Not Just Sleep

Rest is not just the blissful loss of consciousness we refer to as sleep.

Rest encompasses an array of activities that feel calming, restorative, soothing and easy. When you rest, you are taking a break from exertion and effort and strain.  

So, the first question you want to answer is what is restful for you?

 The answer will not be the same for everyone.

 Example: If you are a seasoned crocheter, then it may be very restful for you to work with some yarn. If you are a beginner crocheter, and you need to exert max effort and refer to YouTube tutorials to undertake the task, then crocheting is not going to be restful for you.

Some ideas of restful activities:

·        Meditating

·        Reading (careful about content… I am currently reading a high-action fantasy novel about dragons which I would not describe as restful. When rest is the goal, set down the spooky stories and thrillers – choose a topic that won’t get your adrenaline pumping.)

·        Gentle yoga / stretching / movement

·        Journalling – especially a practice focused on gratitude or celebrating wins

·        Listening to mellow music

·        A familiar hobby you can do without too much exertion (e.g., knitting / embroidery / painting / Rubik’s cube)

·        Making and enjoying a cup of tea

·        Playing sudoku / crossword

·        Sitting outside and watching dusk fall

·        Any other activity unique to you that makes you feel at ease and mellow

What is NOT rest (hint: no screens!):

·        Scrolling social media

·        Reading shitty news

·        Watching TV / movies / YouTube

·        Exercising vigorously

Create the Environment for Relaxation

Create the physical conditions that will help you feel restful.

This could be:

·        Putting on comfy clothes

·        Turning off overhead light and turning on lamps or lighting a candle

·        Finding a silent space or turning on calming music

·        Making a comfy space – clear out room for your yoga mat or plump up some cushions for your seat

·        Opening a window to let some fresh air into a space (whether this is restful depends on the season and your situation)

·        Having hydration to hand (water, herbal tea, etc.)

Think about what makes your physical body feel good and calm, and take steps to create that space for yourself.

Get Ready for Bed Early

Do you ever say: ‘I will go to bed early today!’ But you wait until ten minutes before your targeted bedtime to start getting ready for bed. Then, once you’ve completed all the tasks required to get you and your home to shut down for the night, it is an hour past your designated bedtime. Additionally, you are feeling wired because you have spent the last hour rushing around tidying and organizing.

 Yup, this a tragically common occurrence.

As we’ve discussed in this article, there are many lovely non-sleep activities you can do to cultivate a sense of rest. However, getting good sleep is paramount to whether you feel rested and energized on a day-to-day basis.

To improve your likelihood of solid sleep, start the process of preparing for sleep earlier than anticipated. Not only will this help you get to bed on time, it will create time and space for the restful habits discussed above to become part of your bedtime routine.

At least 1.5 – 2 hours before you want to go to sleep, tackle any household tasks you need to complete before bed, e.g., clearing up the kitchen, packing tomorrow’s lunch, folding laundry / laying out tomorrow’s outfit, turning off lights and shutting down devices.

At least 1 hour before your bedtime, get started on your personal care routine, e.g., bathing, skincare, dental hygiene, pyjamas.

If you are all ready for bed with time to spare, this is a great time to do some of those non-sleep, restful activities. Get your mind in a restful state, and the transition to sleep will come easier.

Rest Well!

As you prepare to set and tackle goals, be sure to make rest a priority. This will give you the sustained energy needed to make other positive changes.

Wishing you a restful 2024!