As we get further into Spring, the weather is warming up in a lot of places, and it’s getting easier to spend time outdoors. This time of year easily lends itself a form of intentional rest that works wonders for health and wellbeing: time in nature.
Our brains have been trained to feel like “doing something” is the best way to take action directly for our health. This might lead us to highly value rehabilitative movement or even meditation.
It’s easy to forget (or disregard) that other important lifestyle factors affect our overall well being too. Doing something for fun, or for intentional rest, can have real power to improve how we feel, and even prevent or reduce symptoms.
Here are 4 lifestyle factors that impact our health
- Ample, good quality sleep
Improved sleep quality positively impacts mood, cognitive function, and physical health, contributing to overall well-being.If sleep is a troublesome area for you, you may be interested in learning more about Yoga Nidra, which can help you reconnect to your body and soothe your nervous system. - Human connection and laughter
Being with loved ones, laughing and enjoying the company of others has been shown to reduce stress levels, strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure, and improve cardiovascular health, thus benefiting overall well-being. - Creativity and play
A creative, playful outlet boosts brain function, reduces stress, enhances problem-solving skills, and builds emotional resilience. So find a hobby! - Intentional Rest
Intentional rest fosters physical and mental rejuvenation, reduces stress, improves cognitive function, and promotes emotional balance.
Intentional Rest is rest on purpose
I want to focus a bit more on the idea of intentional rest, because most of the time when we are resting it’s almost by chance. It’s because we’re exhausted, or overwhelmed, or even sick. We also have a tendency to use our rest time for things that are not truly restful. We forget to rest all of our selves, including our minds and our senses.
When we do genuinely rest, it changes everything about how we approach our lives, our tasks, our relationships, and ourselves. It allows us to access our intuition and creativity, and to move through our days with more ease. I can’t overemphasize how important intentional rest is!
Unfortunately, our culture actively discourages and shames us for resting. Being deliberate about cultivating a rest practice and changing thoughts and beliefs around rest is really important.
This is why I offer workshops and classes that create a supportive space to experiment with intentional rest and notice its effects. If you’re interested in learning more about the options, you can take a look at my upcoming programs here, or contact me for more info!
Are you uncomfortable lying on your back to rest? Try this set-up below and see if it helps.
