Your Mind Also Needs To Rest

It is impossible to live under constant stress and always have to hurry, because  neither the body nor the mind can withstand such a high level of activation for a very long time. If you do, you are spending too much energy and causing your performance to decline as hours and days pass. However, the world we live in is so competitive that even though we need rest, we do not really know how to achieve it. This brings us one step closer to suffering from anxiety.

It will not do any good for you to practice different relaxation techniques or go to yoga three times a week if you can not just take a break for a moment in the middle of the day. But it can be hard to stop the worried thoughts running through your mind, for various reasons. Do you remember a day when you were not so focused on your phone? When was the last time you did something you really liked?

Breaking away from your daily problems is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

Your mind must rest

You do not have to take a vacation to relax. A simple weekend trip, a day or a few hours can break the hustle and bustle that surrounds you, or more precisely how you feel trapped in. The problem is the way you spend this time. Are you really able to disconnect?

Future projects are likely to continue to swarm around your mind, i.e. the things you need to do by Monday, the people you need to call, and a lot of other responsibilities that prevent you from enjoying the few days you need to rest. Putting all the things that overwhelm you, aside for a while, makes you feel irresponsible, even if you can do nothing about them until you get back to work on Monday anyway. And with that, the weekend becomes nothing more than an endless expectation of the moment with the stress that of course comes with it!

Take advantage of the rest

You can rest well and take advantage of the time when you are not at work by doing different activities and thinking in different ways than you do on the days when you have that responsibility. That is, you can get up at another time and you do not have to hurry to eat breakfast because you have to go to work. But we get used to our routines and it’s hard to break them. That is why we end up making mistakes when it comes to rest.

First of all, we try to plan everything without leaving room for improvisation, which means that everything unexpectedly creates a conflict. We do not put our phones aside, turn them off or put them in airplane mode. And finally, we dare not try new things, crazy things, and the big question is “why?”

A clear example of this can be seen during Christmas, during which time most of us have a few days off. But what is supposed to be an enjoyable time ends up being torturing. Family gatherings, visiting friends, traveling away to take advantage of the holidays… It’s way too much!

Taking a vacation is not restorative in itself.

Remember this during your rest time. If you do not release stress when you do not have to work, when can you? You fill your time because you are afraid of not knowing how to proceed when you have nothing to give yourself to, but you just have to let go. Maybe you want to spend a day at home reading, watching TV or doing something completely unproductive. It is okay. You should not feel bad about it. You deserve it.

The benefits of rest

Maybe you think that rest is a waste of time and that it makes you more productive not to take breaks. You think it makes you do your job better. But you are wrong. Being in a working condition all the time does not give the best results. Rather, it creates problems such as stress, anxiety and depression. Want to know more about the benefits of rest?

• It makes you more creative. If your job requires you to be inventive and imaginative, you will know that when you do not feel inspired, your work suffers. Being stubborn will not help you. You need to relax, do something you like, unwind for a while. You are not wasting time, because when you get back to work, you will not hit the wall that was there before. Everything will start to flow better.
• It improves your judgment and decision-making ability. Making decisions is an important part of life because they can take you further away from or closer to what you want. When your mind is too full, it is impossible for you to see things clearly enough to be able to analyze all possible possibilities and feel satisfied with the outcome of your decision.

• It reduces stress and anxiety. A good rest reduces your activation level. When you suffer from stress, your cortisol levels increase, which has consequences for your body, especially if it becomes chronic. Headaches, weakened immune systems, digestive problems and chronic fatigue are just a few examples.
• It makes you happier. When these negative thought patterns disappear from your mind, it begins to release endorphins known as happiness hormones. As a result, you can enjoy what is happening around you, more and feel more balanced and calm.

Resting will contribute to an increase in productivity and concentration while reducing mental blockages.

Improve your performance

If you know how to rest properly, your performance in the workplace will improve. You will be full of energy and optimism to start the day. And if you return to your routine and start getting tired again, it’s because you’re not really relaxing. Worrying about your vacation and wanting to do too many things means you have not gotten the most out of it. Do not plan everything. Just let it flow, and above all, enjoy it.

If you do not waste your time when you do whatever it is you need to do, then why waste your time when you deserve to rest? If you do not take advantage of the weekends and holidays that you so desperately want, your expectations may be too high. Remember that your free time has a beginning, but it also has an end.

Pictures of Kathrin Honesta