7 Ways To Feel More Rested

How to actually feel restored.

With the nature of most of our jobs, at the end of the day we aren’t actually physically tired but rather, we are mentally tired.

The thing about the brain is. It doesn’t know the difference between when you’re working on the laptop and when you’re ‘relaxing’ on social media or in front of the TV. They both stimulate the brain in a similar manner.

Do you know that feeling when you have a big Netflix binge and afterwards you are just as tired as when you started? You’ve rested the body on the couch whilst continuing to bombard the mind.

What about when you get a full night of sleep but wake in the morning and still feel groggy. We all know that one.

SO IF SLEEPING AND NETFLIX AREN’T ALWAYS THE ANSWER TO PROPER RESTORATION THEN WHAT IS?

First of all let’s look for some common signs that some conscious rest may be required. We have already mentioned two but what about these ones.  Are you,

 ·      Drinking more coffee than usual during the day to push through?

·      Consuming more alcohol in the evenings to help you switch off?

·      Finding an inability to focus and complete a task?

·      Struggling to switch off from work?

·      Becoming irritated easily and reactive more often?

·      Generally feeling down and pessimistic about the future?

If any of these resonated with you then there’s a good chance you could benefit from some targeted rest strategies (remember, Netflix is not the only option).

The type of rest you need is individual to you and may change from day to day. Creating awareness of the different types will help you focus your time and energy in the right direction, and you’ll be surprised how easy and time efficient many of them are.

So even if you’re ‘super busy with an urgent deadline’ you can still make time for restoration.

So here they are, 7 ways to change your approach to rest

1 - Lift your creativity

Remember that we are aiming to give the mind a rest from the normal thought patterns that tire it out. Getting creative is a perfect way to do this. Playing a musical instrument, gardening, painting, reading, cooking and even cleaning are all examples how getting creative can actually be restful.

2 - Lift your activity

I hear what you’re saying… ‘you’ve got to be kidding me, I’m too tired to get active’. Well sorry to break the news to you but your body isn’t tired, it’s actually screaming out for you to get moving.

When we exercise this is another opportunity for our minds to switch off and recharge.  Now I’m not asking you to go mad. A gentle walk or a yoga class could be perfect or maybe you could take it up a notch and go for a run surrounded by nature.

This is one of the great things about our digital wellbeing platform, whilst we are getting your employees physically active each week. It is also allowing them the opportunity to give their brains a much needed rest as well (two for the price of one) and that’s why our work is so important for employees mental health.

3 - Lift your socialising

This one comes with a warning. One of the skills we need to learn to ensure we are adequately rested is in relation to which people in our life drain our energy and who lights us up.  When we get in the cycle of work and family life we can often neglect our friendships, it’s really common.  Spending time with a friend could be exactly what we need to recharge our batteries.  So get social (so long as they aren’t a drainer).

4 - Lift your authenticity

To some extent we all have to put on a professional work persona and that requires plenty of mental energy to maintain. Simply allowing yourself a period of time each day where you aren’t working and responding to emails, but you are completely and 100% being yourself, no act required, your mind is free to relax and recharge.

This may also work well in collaboration with some of the other rest strategies like getting creative or social.

5 - Lift your nutrition

There is a strong link between food and mood and sometimes our energy levels just need a reset through a few days of solid healthy eating. 

·      Start with water, increase your intake

·      Reduce your caffeine and alcohol consumption

·      Go mad on the veggies. Big colourful plates full of nutrients

·      Take a break from the takeaway (sorry Deliveroo)

·      If you need a science degree to read the label, it’s probably no good

6 - (don’t) Lift your sensors

This is potentially one that wouldn’t come straight to mind but through personal experience it’s an absolute beauty of a restoration strategy. With our modern lifestyles our eyes and ears are constantly on high alert.  Taking some time to enjoy silence and or darkness can be a really effective way to allow the brain to down regulate.

Now I’m not suggesting you spend the night sitting alone in a dark room but potentially when you wake up tomorrow morning, instead of watching breakfast TV, you could eat your breakfast in a quieter setting.  Again, you could combine it with another rest theme, like getting active, when you’re going for a jog, you could leave the headphones at home and just take in the sounds of nature.  Or even better, take a break from social media for a few days.

7 - Lift your self care

In the current climate it’s pretty easy to find something to be worried or anxious about so we have to the develop some skills and a healthy mindset to ensure we don’t get swept up by it all. After all, it’s exhausting.  Here’s some ways to be kind to your mind.

·      Journal in the morning (here’s a blog we wrote to get you started)

·      Be careful how often you read the news and from which sources

·      Be grateful for all the amazing positives in your life right now

·      Try10 Minutes of guided mindfulness everyday ( our on-demand platform has loads of meditations for you to try)

·      Take a break from your work during the day

·      Find opportunity in the difficult times (they are always there; you just have to look)

·      Pamper yourself

Now, over to you. It’s time to up your rest game

If you’re a forward-thinking leader (you’re our type of leader) then please share this blog with your team members. It’s only going to help to support their wellbeing and mental health (and make you look pretty impressive).

If you would like to learn more about our mental health and wellbeing training sessions as well as our digital wellbeing platform with daily live stream classes then click on the button below.