How do you even prioritise rest??

No, actually, how are you meant to do this? Rest is really important for our bodies and mind, but why do I find it so bloody hard to actually give myself time to rest? I often feel guilty for setting boundaries or taking the time to stop.  I think of all the things I should be doing, then feel incredibly overwhelmed by that very long list, then become paralysed worrying about all that I’m avoiding by “resting” — which then causes my body and mind to not actually rest and become as confused and exhausted as you are reading that sentence.

So yeah, I'm clearly an expert on this topic.

When we experience stress it triggers our "fight-and-flight" response, a natural reaction to anxiety, fear, stress and danger. We experience increased heart rate, blood pressure and breathing, the body prioritises the organs needed to survive. Our ancestors were triggered by physical threats such as tigers in the jungle when hunting for their dinner, we are instead triggered by smaller (and often less life-threatening) stressors, however our body still perceives the stress as a tiger regardless.

Our body can stay in this heightened state for minutes or hours, even after the threat is gone. We need to end the stress cycle by moving into our 'rest-and-digest' state, which is often easier said than done. Our stressors also now follow us around in our pockets or in our bags. Phones make us much more accessible, making it even easier to be triggered into that stress cycle subconsciously.

However, if we don't give our body the chance to relax, it can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. Rest is necessary for our bodies to recover from the stress and strain from each day. It can be as simple as quality sleep or time recharging alone or it could be utilising recovery tools. We can prioritise time to rest by blocking out time in our schedule to do these activities and make them non-negotiable.

I do this by blocking at least an hour of recovery in my calendar each day at the most convenient time possible. This means its not always necessarily at the "optimal" time but it's the time I'll actually get it done. I often do my recovery as soon as I finish work and then I go to the gym, it may seem counterintuitive, but it stops me having to drive back after the gym - something I'd easily give myself an excuse not to do. Another thing I do is not go home while I'm already out, I try to make it part of the reason I left the house in the first place even if its in the opposite direction as to where I was going.

Yes - I could try to rest at home but that is by far the least productive place for me to rest. I will spend the time finding something else to do or just doom scroll. I find that being at Recovery Lab and doing something actively is much better for my brain and I'm way more likely to actually do it.

Even when things don't go to plan and I run out of time - I just lower my expectations of myself and try to do one thing. 15 minutes is always better than nothing. Self care is also something I chose to prioritise because cleaning, cooking, studying, life admin and all of that is always so much easier when I feel good in myself and have the energy to do it. It helps me be more productive, feel energised and just generally feel good.

I suggest to try it for 4 weeks, aim for something small a couple times a week and see how it changes how you feel both mentally and physically.

See you in the Lab,

Zahli