How To Be Intentional About Your Rest
Are you feeling stressed, exhausted, burnt out, and tired? Same. It’s not your fault; you live in a capitalist, racist patriarchy.
Laying on the couch and watching a reality show or doom-scrolling on TikTok is often how we end up relaxing and resting. And while these can be excellent ways of dealing with acute emotional distress, or a good way of unwinding after a long, hard day, there are other ways to rest too. More intentional ways.
Being intentional about your rest
When we talk about being intentional about how we rest, we mean that you consciously choose practices and activities that help us feel rested and recharged. We try not to leave too much up to chance. Instead, make a thoughtful decision about how we rest.
Being intentional about how we rest isn’t to make it a big production, or to make even resting a chore. That is not the goal. It’s important to remember that with rest, as with everything else, there is no one-size-fits-all, and you know yourself best. Only you know if you have the capacity or not.
Why you should be intentional
Why is this a thing at all? You don’t *have* to do anything, but being more intentional about how you relax and rest makes it more likely you will feel rested and recharged after. It gives you the opportunity to tailor your approach to your specific needs, which typically means more effective rest. You can optimize the time you spend relaxing and resting to ensure you get the desired results, such as reducing stress, increasing productivity, feeling more like yourself, and feeling better overall.
It also allows you to make rest and relaxation a regular part of your routine, not just an afterthought. Relaxing and resting is not being lazy; it’s a crucial part of being a functioning human being. It’s a necessity, not a luxury, and should be treated as such. Give yourself a chance to recharge before reaching the critically exhausted stage.
How to be intentional
Now that we’ve covered what intentional rest means in the simplest terms, let’s get into how you can be intentional about your rest and relaxation to get the most out of your rest and relaxation time.
Identify activities that make you feel rested
What activities make you feel rested and recharged? Sure, scrolling on social media in bed at night might feel like it relaxes you, but chances are it’s simply a way to distract yourself.
So dig a little deeper: perhaps it’s spending time with your loved ones. Maybe it’s reading a book, going for a walk, taking a bath, or doing some gentle, physical exercise. Only you know what works for you, and it’s essential you pay attention to this so you know what activities to engage in and prioritize them.
Schedule rest time
Your privilege will play a role in your ability to do this, and it’s important to remember to do what works for you, your life, and your situation. Some people will have a lot of time available to schedule intentional rest time, while others are lucky to get ten minutes to themselves. Whatever your situation is, work with what you’ve got. If it’s five minutes, it’s better with five intentional minutes than five unintentional ones. The important thing is that you make sure you get time for the activities that make you feel recharged and rested.
Set boundaries
Prioritizing your rest and relaxation means saying no to other things. That’s pretty much the definition of prioritization; you can’t do it all. So it’s time to practice setting boundaries. For example, you might have to say no to an invitation, turn your phone off and be unavailable for some time to make sure you get the time you need to relax and rest.
Unplug from technology
We know you’ve heard this one before. It’s not easy unplugging when the whole world is always logged on, but that’s the point. To really disconnect, you have to, well, disconnect. As much as possible – we’re not suggesting you leave the kids with a sitter and throw away their only way of reaching you. But if you can, we suggest you take some time away from technology, which means phones, tablets, computers, and TVs. Instead, engage in activities that don’t involve screens. Some of our favorites are reading a good book, playing a board game, cooking from scratch, or doing a puzzle. This allows your brain to process and recharge and reduces the strain of constant information overload.
By now, we hope you feel more secure in what we mean by intentional rest and have a few ideas about how you can start practicing this yourself. So head over to our socials and let us know how you get on!
