My Struggle with Rest
An ongoing discussion that Damien and I have is around my need to “do” (mentioned in a few other posts) and how I don’t know how to just “rest” or “relax.” The chapter I read this morning in Effortless was titled “Rest: The Art of Doing Nothing.” Damien believes (and rightfully so) that I don’t know how to properly rest—that because of the family culture I grew up in, I had no chance.
A Revelation About My Brain
A few months ago, I listened to Daniel Amen’s book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (amazing listen/read, highly recommend!!) and in it, he describes how some people have an overactive basal ganglia (an area of the brain involved in the regulation of movement and anxiety levels), which can lead to anxiety, OCD, and other psychological disorders. When I heard him describe the overactive basal ganglia, I felt a piece of myself had been revealed that I wasn’t fully aware of. I have a need to almost constantly move—until listening to Amen’s book, I didn’t realize that wasn’t normal. I was driving when I listened to it and immediately called Damien to tell him about this revelation. Since then, he has read a bunch on it and agrees that is likely what is going on (at least partially) inside my head. This was a long way to explain another reason why I find it hard to rest. But I am getting better (at least I think I am).
The Challenge of True Rest
Yesterday (well, for the past few days anyway), I wasn’t feeling well due to experiencing some chronic migraine symptoms. Typically, on days like that I would give in to the fact that I wouldn’t be productive at work but still find ways in which to “do” something else. Usually, that would mean crocheting or reading. Yesterday, I decided not to do either but to rest on the couch by watching TV. Damien and I talked about it this morning, and he still sees that as “doing” something since I’m not giving my brain rest (TV is full of brain stimulation even though it seems like a mindless thing). I begrudgingly agreed with him, but I know that it is still a work in progress, and I’m at least headed in the right direction (I think…).
The Importance of Rest
Rest is one of those things that has come up a lot in many of the books and articles I have read over the past few years. It is one of those things that has been frowned upon in our hustle culture but is also a key thing in being the most productive—I know, counterintuitive, right? But if we don’t give ourselves the time to rest, recover, and recuperate, we are constantly operating on an empty tank (or trying to fill other cups from our own empty cup). This is an important lesson to embrace in business. Being constantly booked or on the go isn’t really a good thing—at the end of the day, business will suffer. So, do the difficult thing and embrace the rest!
Ponder This
- How do you incorporate true rest into your daily routine?
- What methods have you found effective for genuinely relaxing your mind and body?
- How can you implement rest into your business practices to enhance productivity and well-being?
Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!
Books
- Effortless - Greg McKeown
- Change Your Brain, Change Your Life - Daniel Amen
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