Active Rest
We hear this a lot-make sure you get plenty of rest to fuel your resilience. Most of us equate rest with sleep, but in actuality, we are talking about two very different things. Yes. Good, solid sleep is essential to your physical and emotional well-being. But moments of rest, throughout the day, can be just as powerful.
This month, as we head into what could possibly be the most exhilarating and most taxing part of the year, we want you to raise your awareness of how and when you gift yourself moments of "active rest." Explore the resources below to support you with this work.
Make Intentional Active Rest Choices
While it's going to be even more important to set goals and put in the work to meet them as we move into hybrid learning, we have to remind ourselves how absolutely essential REST is going to be to successfully complete these tasks. Not only will we need to intentionally make time for rest, but we're going to have to remind ourselves to not feel one ounce of guilt for doing it!
Rest is different from sleep. Rest means slowing down during our waking hours. Many of us operate under the thinking that every moment of our days must be filled with activities that accomplish something. These are usually work-related or family-related tasks. We place high importance on getting these things done, but it often comes with the high price of self-sacrifice.
In 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators, author Tina Boogren shares a quote from author Tim Kreider in which he says, "Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as Vitamin D is to the body..." Based on his work and the research of others, Tina shares a strategy she has used to create a workable plan for integrating active rest into the workweek. Use it as a template to design your own workable plan! The activities are not as important as the plan itself.
Practice Downtime and Find Opportunities for Active Rest!
Monday and Tuesday Make a conscious effort to live in the moment as you begin the week. Here's one way to do it:
Designate a specific time in your day to focus on what's right in front of you.
Bring your mind back to the present moment every time it tries to drift off. You can say something to yourself like, "I'll get back to worrying later."
Help yourself stay in the moment by asking yourself what you hear, see, taste, feel, and smell.
Wednesday Engage in mindful eating today. Try the following tips to get started.
Before you begin eating, take a moment or two to simply appreciate the food in front of you.
Bring all your senses to the meal. Notice the color, texture, smell, seasonings, and how the food feels in your mouth and as you swallow it.
Take small bites, chew thoroughly, and eat slowly (putting your utensils down between each bite).
Thursday and Friday Schedule 30 minutes of relaxation on both days. You can use this window to simply sit quietly, allowing your mind to wander and rest, or you can engage in relaxing activities like the following:
Savor a cup of coffee, tea, or other beverage of choice.
Light a candle and listen to relaxing music.
Sit outside and people watch.
Take a walk and reflect on what you're grateful for right now.
*Adapted from 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators by Tina H. Boogren, pgs. 128-129
Benefits of Active Rest & How It Feeds Your Resilience
