Rested? The Three Keys to Finding True Rest, Just in Case

What do you think of when you see that word? Envy? Vague nostalgia? Familiar comfort? When did you last feel truly rested, and woke up feeling recharged, content, and ready to enjoy the day? If you're having trouble remembering, then read on.

Rest is more than just going to bed at a good hour. When it comes to starting your day truly rested, three areas come to mind ... resting your body through sleep, resting your soul (heart) through contentment, and resting your spirit (mind) through relaxation. How well do you take care of yourself in these three areas?

First of all, where does sleep fall on your priority list? Is resting your body last and least? Do you collapse into bed at night exhausted, feeling badly that you didn't cross everything off of your list for the day? Do you wake up feeling like you need several more hours to feel recharged? Many of us (myself included) feel that we need more sleep, need to go to bed earlier, and wish we didn't have so much crammed into each day. If sleep falls at the very bottom of your list, you likely won't ever feel rested. Simply deciding to go to bed earlier won't happen either, unless you change a few other things. I discovered this month that it was a great idea (and joy!) to cross things off of my somewhat insane to-do list, without doing them! I chose to put it there, I can choose to take it off. How simple is that?

Speaking of simple, ever hear the proverb "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath"? I find it to be very true in my own life ... sleep just isn't worth the time you spend on it if you go to bed angry or frustrated. Phyllis Diller puts a twist on it saying "Don't go to bed angry. Stay up and fight!" That takes us to the second point ... resting your soul. How often do you set aside time to pray, meditate, or simply feed your heart? It's not so much about how much time you spend on it, but how well you maintain a sense of contentment and peace with your life and your choices. Are you always needing something else to change before your heart can rest, or are you happy where you are? We may imagine that it takes a monastic life or misty mountain sunrises or an abundant bank account to achieve true peace, but we choose to be content (or not) every moment of every day. What are you choosing?

The last piece of feeling rested is relaxing your spirit. Do you defer all relaxation to an annual vacation? The occasional weekend? Resting your mind is a daily need, just as much as food, water, and sleep. What if you slept as often as you took vacations? Resting your mental batteries (read: turn them off) should happen often, even if it's only a few minutes at a time. My digital camera has the amusing habit of shutting down and saying "replace battery pack" while gasping out a last shrill beep. Turn it on two minutes later and voila, it takes another half dozen shots! Rest means ceasing from all conscious activity. Obviously ceasing ALL mental activity would leave you dead, but you get my drift. Pause. Stop moving. Working. Thinking. Clear out your thoughts and tasks and lists and just let go ... zone out if you will ... and enjoy the silence. Find that a challenge? I'll admit that I do. Even sitting still and doing nothing for ten minutes can be very difficult, my coaching clients often balk at the idea! Start the easy way and just find an activity that totally relaxes you and requires no effort ... listen to music, watch TV, read a book ... whatever genuinely disconnects you from any responsibility or work and frees you from conscious thought. You need that downtime, and failing to take it only builds up tiredness and stress.

If you find yourself regularly cutting your sleep short, staying wound up all day, and popping the Tylenol to get rid of those perpetual tension headaches, then you're not taking care of yourself ... body, soul, or spirit. You need rest to function properly, and it's NOT a luxury, it's a necessity.

Bethany Rule is an experienced personal and professional life coach, championing human development, encouraging change, and helping you break your own rules. Based in NYC, she works with clients all over the world. Please visit http://www.bethanyrule.com to sign up for your FREE Trial Session, FREE monthly newsletter, or to learn more about coaching with Bethany.

---

Stress Management and Mastery: The Power of REST

Rest.It's a good thing to do. As the story goes,... Read More

Choose a Stressless Lifestyle!

A stressless lifestyle? That's very easy to say. Yet it... Read More

Stress Relief Through Charity

One of the best ways to relieve yourself from the... Read More

Haris Stress Inventory

Conceptualizing stress: Stress often has a negative connotation. Failure, illnesses,... Read More

10 Ways to Monitor Corporate Stress Levels

10 Ways to Monitor Corporate Stress LevelsGood military leaders work... Read More

Waking Up Well - The Essentials

Preparing for sleep the night before is the place to... Read More

Mindfulness and Panic: Ask Your Anxiety

Panic.Heart racing. Palms sweating. Breathing rapid and shallow. Mouth dry.... Read More

Chewing On Mindfulness: Gum Is Your Secret

My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger... Read More

Five Tips to De-stress Your Life

I recently received this e-mail message about stress management (author... Read More

Overcoming Stress: Successful Living The Easy Way

So many of us live a stressful life. Unfortunately, when... Read More

Stressed Out? It May Be Your Job

"I'm stressed out."If you find yourself thinking--or saying--this on a... Read More

10 Ways to Reduce Commuting Stress

Do you get out of your car with a queasy... Read More

Three Tips for Forgiveness: A Key Factor in Anger Management

Elizabeth, 32, cried during anger management class as she told... Read More

Stress Relief for Busy Business People - 11 Easy Ways

Make stress less of an issue for you in your... Read More

Instant Relaxation Anytime Anywhere

If there was a way of relaxing quickly and easily... Read More

Stress Management: Workaholism is a Thief

Let's take a look at some of the more serious... Read More

Discover The Wisdom of Letting Go

When a great Zen Master returned to his country after... Read More

Common SENSS Stress Control

Statistics show that all of us experience stress at one... Read More

Stress Mangement and Mastery: How to Defeat Sunday Night Syndrome

Picture the following scene:It's Sunday evening, the weekend is winding... Read More

Stress Management Through Altering Beliefs And Increasing Knowledge

Most humans experience unexpected setbacks which can cause huge stress... Read More

Three Stress Relief Techniques

There is good stress, and there is bad stress. Good... Read More

Managing Your Persistent Fears And Anxieties

Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have... Read More

Busy Fish: Tips for Changing Your Day from Chaos to Calm

Syndicated columnist Dale Dauten recently wrote, "One of life's great... Read More

Panic Is No Laughing Matter

Burt Reynolds revealed his vulnerable side when he realized he... Read More

10 Ways to Enjoy Your Stress More

1. The Mentor Method: think of your favorite person. Someone... Read More

Emotional Freedom - At YOUR Fingertips!

What would you say if I told you I know... Read More

Dont Be a Worry Wort!

Everyone worries. As bothersome as it is, worry isn't all... Read More

Stress Causing People to ?Super Size?

... Read More

Relieving Stress with Exercise... and Losing Body Fat in the Process!

Feeling stressed out lately? Don't worry, there is a simple... Read More

Stress: Daily Self-Care Habits to Manage Stress

Today we have more stress in our lives than ever... Read More

Workplace Stress: What to Do During Down Times?

The main problem in a down economy is that workplaces... Read More

Stress May Cost Businesses Millions, But the Costs to the Sufferer are Far Worse

Governements and businesses have regularly highlighted the costs of stress... Read More

Stress Tips

26 ways to minimize and manage the unhealthy effects of... Read More