Lazy or Resting? Reframing Rest
Balancing rest and productivity. Counseling in Houston. Alejandra Machado, LPC.
When we have anxiety about not doing enough, we often view rest with a negative mindset, interpreting it to mean we are lazy, but rest is important for all of us. Rest can help to balance out the stress-induced “fight or flight” response and enhance our overall emotional well-being.
Rest isn’t just about recuperating, but it can help boost our cognitive functions, helping us boost our creativity and improve our problem-solving skills. It’s pretty difficult to think clearly and problem-solve if we are always running alongside anxiety.
When we’re anxious, we can become scattered and experience difficulty concentrating and remembering things.
Rest can help us to reset and process the information around us.
Adequate rest is also vital for our physical health, it aids in muscle recovery and helps regulate our immune system, reducing the risk of chronic illnesses.
Here are some tips to help you integrate rest into your daily routine:
Schedule micro-breaks throughout your day. For example, if your job is rather sedentary, try to get up out of your chair every hour, take some deep breaths, try stretching or moving around a bit.
Establish an evening routine that signals it’s time to start winding down. Activities such as reading, showering or bathing before bed, and avoiding screens for at least 30 minutes to an hour before bed and help improve your quality of sleep.
Engage in mindful activities such as journaling, meditation or breathing exercises. Even just a few minutes of practice can help center your thoughts and reduce stress.
Prioritize rest as would any other task. Just as it is important to meet certain responsibilities, making sure you take some time to rest can help it become a more consistent habit.
If you haven’t been prioritizing rest, starting to try these new habits can feel foreign or even wrong. If you notice that you struggle to incorporate some rest into your schedule without constantly feeling anxious or even guilty, consider reaching out and speaking with a counselor, like me, Alejandra Machado, LPC, in Houston, TX at 281-858-3325.
