AN INVITATION TO REST
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO INVEST IN YOUR OWN REST…
Last summer we invited you to invest in your rest (read last year's blog post here); this summer we want to reiterate the importance of rest and caring for yourself. As we begin to step out of the pandemic and reintegrate into society and our daily lives, we must be patient with ourselves, remind ourselves that we are worthy of rest, and take time to find what practices rejuvenate us best.
By now, many of us know why rest is important for our mind, body, and soul, but knowing how to rest well is less known.
“By learning the right techniques, we can maximize the power of rest to fully restore ourselves”
- Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022
Resting is easier said than done, especially in a culture that encourages and rewards a constant state of busyness.
A common misconception is that taking a break or resting is selfish, lazy, and decreases productivity. When in reality, taking a break allows everyone to recharge, improve our focus and concentration (Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022).
So how do we rest?
1 - Schedule downtime and make it a routine
Habits can be hard to break. Habits can be hard to create. Habits can be difficult to sustain. Routinizing rest can support the development of the activity becoming automatic and maximizes positive effects on our mind, body, and emotions (Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022).
Tip: Try scheduling rest by using an alarm or calendar.
2 - Find the right amount of rest
Like most things in life, too much or too little of something can be problematic. The key is to find a happy medium. According to Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee (2022), “a rule of thumb is about four hours’ of rest a day”.
Now, I know you may think, “Strive team! There is no way I can find four hours to rest in a day!”
So, let’s break down a day…
When driving to work try listening to your favourite songs or podcasts. There’s half an hour.
Now while you’re on your break, try being mindful while eating and enjoy each bite of your lunch. There’s an additional hour.
When you’re driving home, reflect on your day and find moments of gratitude that came up during the day. There’s another half hour.
You’re halfway there!
Once you get home, maybe now would be a time you take your children to the park or your pet for a walk around the block. Take a moment to breathe in the fresh air before stepping inside and notice the weather. Do you feel the sun beaming on your face, or rain dripping down your back? Is the air crisp and cool or hot and humid? There’s another hour.
When you’re having dinner, enjoy each bite and take in the memories you’re making. Whether you’re laughing with loved ones or watching a favourite tv show. Maybe tonight’s dinner time is short, but that’s still half an hour. Only thirty minutes to go.
At the end of the day, try finding an activity that brings joy to you. This could be watching a tv show, sitting on your porch, trying a new hobby, taking a hot shower. There’s the last thirty minutes.
You did it! Remember, rest can look different for everyone and it can be found throughout our day. It’s how you use your time. Each person’s needs are different, similar to sleep. Some people may need a little less time to rest, while others may need a little more time (Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022). Find what works best for you.
3 - Identify and prioritize your specific needs
When one thinks of rest, many people imagine sitting on a sofa. Chamorro-Premuzic and Lee (2022) say, '“we often harbor stereotypes about resting”. Now this is not to say that sitting on a sofa isn’t rest, but we must remember that it can look different and is not a one-size-fits-all. The way one rests can be very dependent on the individual's needs such as physical, emotional, mental, or social rest activities.
Identifying the type of rest needed is essential. For example, someone who is physically exhausted may not choose to go for a walk. Or someone who is socially exhausted may not choose to hang out with a friend. Although it can be hard to squash the narratives society has created in relation to rest, we must take time to reflect and tune into ourselves to understand what type of rest we need.
Tip: Create a list of different restful activities you enjoy in relation to the types of rest (social, emotional, mental, physical) you need.
4 - Make time for deep rest if you have to do deep work
In caring professions, such as Early Childhood Education and Care, this is all the more true. We are, by nature, inclined to say yes, inclined to give, and inclined to prioritize others before ourselves, particularly in the context of our work. This is something we at Strive can attest to firsthand.
Although this article discusses work in the context of physical tasks, we feel it’s important to recognize the emotional work early years professionals engage in, too. We need to recognize that our work relies on our physical, emotional, and mental health. When resting try to remember to give your mind a break, too, and reduce the amount of activities you are engaging in.
“Interrupted downtime is not effective and could create more burdens rather than recovery”
- Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022
Tip: Tune in with your body to see what your individual needs are. While some people may need multiple sensory inputs to rest, others may be better off engaging in one activity at a time. Find what works best for you.
5 - Don't skip vacation
“We need regular seasonal recharging time, not only for us but for well-functioning and positive workplace and societies”
- Chamorro-Premuzic & Lee, 2022
Vacation is defined as a longer period of time off from work which supports people's recovery from job demands and replenishes our mental, physical, and emotional resources. Of course each company and organization has different vacation policies, but try your best to plan an annual leave and consider your needs for that time off. A vacation does not have to equate to a trip around the world. It could be resting and recuperating at home as well.
Tip: Consider how you will rest on your time off and remember the previous points listed above.
As we move into the month of August, we invite you to reflect on how you rest and explore what works best for you. Remember to be patient with yourself, this takes practice, especially when we’re not used to taking time for ourselves.
This month, we have cleared our professional learning calendar of workshops, Communities of Practice, and network meetings.
Instead, we are leaving intentional time and space (and a little bit of gentle encouragement) to rest. As a continuation of Mike Masse’s session in June, he has graciously created a variety of short mindfulness practice videos, specifically for you, early years professionals, to explore over the next couple weeks.
And if you don’t have the capacity to watch them in August, don’t worry! You won’t miss out. The videos will be put on Strive Online in September for you to access on your own time.
As early years professionals ourselves, we thought it might be nice to share with you some of the ways in which we, the Strive team, like to engage in rest.
We love…
Being outdoors, whether that be going to the beach and soaking up the sun, sitting on our back deck for a few minutes, going to the dog park, going for a hike, feeling the rain, taking a walk around the neighbourhood, etc.
Being with family, friends, and loved ones (including our beloved pets!)
Enjoying seasonal foods such as berries, cherries, peaches, tomatoes, etc.
Finding enjoyable hobbies (both new and old) such as watching our favourite tv shows, reading a book, doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, listening to music, running a hot bath and putting on a face mask.
Sleep! Prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep each night and creating a comforting sleep environment such as freshly washed bed sheets, a clean room, and having phones and electronic devices off and put away.
We remind ourselves that a lack of sleep does not equate to a gold star, in fact we remind ourselves that we need sleep in order to be the best we can be and each individual’s sleep needs are different.
Exploring creative arts like painting, crocheting, dancing, journaling, etc.
The importance of rest cannot be understated and no matter how busy your day, or week, or month is shaping up to be. Our hope is that you'll invest, even if just for a few moments, in your own rest. And if reading this post is a part of that, we are so very happy you are here. You are worthy and deserving of rest.
Rest isn't an eraser. Making time for rest won't mean that you will magically return to less things on your to-do list. What it can do however, is give you a new perspective and feeling about how you move your way through it.
So say yes to rest and stay connected with us this month as we discover and dig in to how we rest.
HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO REST THIS WEEK? SHARE BELOW!