Defining Rest to Hijack the Stress Cycle
Rest means to me in Your Own Words:
(from participants in Grow Boldly Winter series)
“Rest to me, means taking some time away from x thing whether it be tasks related to work etc…and using that time to recharge and be reenergized for whatever is coming next”
“Allowing space and time for yourself to recenter and reconnect. Being able to allow yourself to recharge~”
“Rest for me means giving myself time to reflect and do things for myself that I have been put off.'“
“In general, rest means attuning to my body's needs and prioritizing those needs. It took me 52 years to figure out how to do that, but it's very rewarding to respond to what my body needs. It prevents negative cycles of health, work, etc.”
“sometimes I find a 10 minute meditation can be rest. I've really struggled with anxiety the past few years, and sometimes I just need 10 minutes to quiet my mind and step away from the tornado that is my life.”
“My rest means being more spontaneous and looking for creative ways to have fun and be present.”
Time to figure out what rest means to you so that you can hijack that toxic stress cycle I talked about a few weeks ago. Workshop participants and clients report an easier time with physical and mental rest. Social, sensory, creative, and spiritual rest though get overlooked when building out rest plans or space/time for rest.
Prompts to re-envision your rest:
When I’m rested, I can…
The last time I truly felt rested was….
The area in my life I want more pleasure is…
If I showed up fully rested in my life, I would put my energy towards…
What needs to shift in my life to create space for more rest is….
What needs to shift in my WORK to create space for more rest is….
How I want to re-envision rest into my office/program/class is…
We’ll wrap up this topic with 6 Words of Advice from Monk Tilopa (988-1069):
Let go of what is past
Let go of what may come
Let go of what is happening now
Don’t try to figure anything out
Don’t try to make anything happen
Relax right now and rest.