If you feel mentally and physically exhausted today, this week or seemingly all the time, you’re probably not getting enough “rest”. No matter what job you have or what type of person you are, everyone needs rest. It’s a time for restoration of your body and mind to rejuvenate you back to a state of optimal performance. 

In today’s busy world, there is always another email to respond to, a meeting to attend or task to complete. As a result, life is constantly moving at a fast pace and with a sense of urgency. When this happens, everything else, including self-care, gets put on the back burner. To avoid becoming entirely exhausted and burned out, it is important to remember to rest and give yourself a break. 

Mental rest vs “sleep”

Not only is it important to rest at night and get a good night’s sleep, it is equally as necessary to rest your mind during your waking hours too. Here are some suggestions for how you can rest your mind and body in addition to sleep:

• Get some mental rest by taking short scheduled breaks throughout your workday. Allow your brain to disengage from your task and stop turning gears for a few minutes every hour or two so you don’t feel mentally drained by the end of the day. 

• Don’t let your thoughts keep you up at night. Keep a notepad by your bed for any lingering late-night ideas or to capture any middle of the night “I can’t forget to do that/solve that/think on that tomorrow” thoughts so your body and mind can get the physical rest it needs for a productive tomorrow.

• Reduce your sensory stimulation when possible. Prevent your senses from getting overwhelmed by screens, people, conversations, and sounds. Take breaks from social media every once in a while. Schedule time to unplug and put your phone away throughout the day or by a certain time before bed each night. 

• Practice calming, restorative activities for your body and mind such as stretching, yoga, and massage. Even better, go outside for these activities and appreciate the beauty of nature while you’re at it. 

• Rest your mind from racing thoughts, stress, and anxiety by learning to be fully mindful in the present moment. What colors and shapes are you looking at? Which sensations or textures do you feel on your skin? What are you currently smelling, tasting or hearing around you? 

• Spend time with people who uplift, inspire, and encourage you. Hang out with people who are easy to talk to and who you enjoy being around. Cut back on your time spent being around people who stress you out, drain your energy or mentally exhaust you. 

• Do creative things you enjoy where your mind can either be immersed in the activity or wandering freely such as art/crafts, physical activity, cooking, reading, and dancing or listening to music. 

• Try meditating to calm your mind and your body, center yourself and find your inner peace. Spiritual rest experienced through meditation can lead to a stronger sense of belonging, acceptance, and purpose that goes beyond the mental and physical aspects of daily life.

• Let yourself rest emotionally by giving yourself permission to live your daily life as your true, authentic self. Stop trying to please everyone and do what makes you happy to rejuvenate your emotional state. Pursue your passions, listen to your heart, and do what you want to do rather than what you feel like you need to do—especially on your days off. 

• Allow yourself to do nothing and your mind to run freely every once in a while. This will do wonders for your creativity and imagination, which can in turn give you some newfound motivation (and thus increase productivity)!

Let us help you include “rest” in your daily routines

All of the above tips can work wonders on your physical and mental energy levels. Rest allows you to feel rejuvenated, motivated, and productive. It boosts your overall well-being in and outside of work so that you can lead the life you want to live.

Give yourself mental rest in addition to physical rest. You’ll see things from different angles, approach problems with new perspectives and increased energy.  Through our productivity consulting, training or coaching, Simply Placed can help you create habits and routines that include rest in your day. Schedule your free, no-risk Discovery Call and get started today.