Do you embrace being still? Do you excel at being in complete silence? Is rest an elusive unicorn type creature you have not happened upon yet? Being at rest has a lot of benefits. We have more clarity, our body is not driven by fright or flight and we can manage our day to day more intuitively. So let’s break that down a bit.
Gaining more clarity, what does this look like? It’s having time and space to contemplate and gain insight and direction. I think it is worth noting that generally we as humans fill our time up; if there is open space, we tend to put something there. The idea is to pull away from that default and keep open, empty time somewhere in your day. If you have children I can hear you saying, ‘but wait, I am always busy with them’, but I want to encourage you that children need rest just like we do and creating lifelong habits can never start too early.
When we have a revolving door of activity that is consistently stimulating our mind and body we can’t help but overload. I am not talking about being in the garden, weeding or tending to plants and flowers; this type of activity allows your mind to wonder off and be at rest while your hands are busy creating. I am referring to scrolling, screen time, streaming, non-stop music or other ‘man made’ noise or constant engagements with others, going places and doing things ALL THE TIME. It builds up an intolerance in our bodies and we need to dispel it. Which is why I suggest not building it up in the first place.
There are many aspects to finding and being at rest; what we eat, who we spend our time with, what hobbies we have, the schedule of others in our lives, where we live, our work etc. Some of these aspects have quite a lot of wiggle room for modification, others not so much. Look at the areas that you are able to have an impact on, even just a little bit. Build in open spots of time to buffer all the busyness of life.
Getting out in nature, walking, hiking, being, forest bathing are all great ways to reset the busyness of life. No need to have a plan or schedule, just get into nature and outside, especially in the sunshine, whenever you have a few spare moments. Creating is another great reset; this can be things you already do like baking and cooking or making cozy spaces in your home. Or it can be activities that encourage you to create things like arts and crafts. There are a myriad of creative things to do from painting and sewing to flower arranging and knitting. There are also other pursuits like playing an instrument, taking photographs and writing. All good distractions from the rapid pace of life in general. They all bring the focus inwards and slow time down.
And of course there is actually rest, sleeping at night or maybe a nap during the day. Often at night it can be difficult to let the mind empty out. A good counter to this is taking 5-10 minutes to journal all the things that might be weighing on you at that particular moment and getting them on the page. Nothing fancy, no order, just as they pop into your mind, get them onto the page and out of your brain space. Also absolutely no screen time at least thirty minutes before bed, also try turning off the lights and burning a beeswax candle to calm your spirit. The flickering of the flames induces a shift from beta waves to alpha, from alert to relaxation. Also a cool room will help you sleep deeper. During the day a quick cat nap can make all the difference to adding some pep to your step and renewing your energy.
The point of all of this is so you are not careening through life reacting to everything in panic mode, over exaggeration I admit, but some days can totally feel like that. To have some margin and buffer helps keep our bodies be in a more restful state and in turn allows our mind to manage decisions, situations and feelings in a more moderated fashion. Stillness amplifies the ability to listen to your own heart desires, which in turn helps you create a life you enjoy being part of.
