Rest, or rest will take what it needs
Rest allows us the opportunity to heal. In her book, Sacred Rest, Dr, Sandra Dalton-Smith breaks rest down into 7 categories. Each of these types of rest are essential for us to keep healthy and functioning at a high level in this world. If we neglect any of these forms of rest and they become drained enough without replenishment, the body will tap us on the shoulder. If we fail to listen, to change anything, it will eventually say ‘no’ and we won't have a choice, but to stop and rest.
It could show up as:
- Snapping at your kids, partner (or both), work colleague or someone who accidentally cut you off in traffic
- Brain fog and poor focus that leaves you struggling to get things done
- Unrelenting fatigue and exhaustion no matter how much sleep you get
- Mood swings that have you feeling like you're on a roller coaster
- Getting sick regularly, recurrent injuries or pain
- Constant mind chatter or rumination that continues even through the night
In the later stages, chronic depletion can show up as chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue or chronic diseases like autoimmune issues or cancer.
Here are the 7 types of rest:
Each of these rest buckets are drained by specific activities, beliefs, environments, lifestyle factors and people in our world. It’s just like withdrawing from a bank account. If you keep making withdrawals without making deposits, you will be in the red and you're in for a world of hurt.
Each bucket is replenished by certain activities, perspectives and people. These are like putting a deposit into your bank account. If your deposits are greater than your withdrawals then you will be building up your rest reserve and you will likely be in good health and have an abundance of energy and vitality so you can live your best life.
If you don’t get the right kind of rest, you will still feel empty.
For example:
The mental rest bucket is depleted by constant to-do’s and notifications and incessant stream of thinking or self-talk. It is replenished by meditation, journaling, breathwork, doing a thought purge or mindfulness.
The social rest bucket is depleted by feelings of isolation and disconnectedness. It is replenished by quality connection with a friend or family member or someone that leaves you feeling unconditionally loved and supported.
When we refill each of these 7 buckets of rest then we can maintain our health, energy, vitality and joy and we remain motivated and on purpose.
And when we have all that flowing:
- We can be a better parent, partner and friend
- We are more productive, have better focus and can get more done, faster
- We have more space to respond rather than react to others and circumstances
- Life feels like its working for us, not to us
Perhaps you are familiar with this pattern in your own life?
Where you know you need to rest.
Your body is giving you all the signals.
But you've just got to get that next thing done.
Get to the weekend.
Get it finished before the deadline.
Make it to the holidays.
Only to be stopped in your tracks when your body finally said ‘enough’.
If this is you, then here's what you can do about it:
- Get clear on the rest buckets that are constantly drained
- Brainstorm the ways you can replenish each of these rest buckets on a daily, weekly or month by month basis
- Schedule each one into your calendar
- Commit to refilling this rest bucket when that calendar alert comes up - keep this promise to yourself
- Get an accountability buddy to keep you on track
I'll be revisiting this for myself over the next few days and schedule my activities into my calendar for when I return home. I would love to hear how it goes for you. Hit reply and let me know.
Remember, you are your best healer,
Jess
PS: In my online program, we don't just keep refilling the buckets that have holes in them. We dig deeper to get underneath the unhelpful busyness patterns, beliefs and perfectionist patterns that are keeping you drained. Then we can actually plug up the holes in the buckets so you can stop chasing your tail and repeating the same patterns for the next half of your life. If that’s something that interests you, hit reply and we can book a time to chat, or sign up here.
