I've been talking to a few people about “rest” this week
Over the last few years there's been a significant uptick in awareness about the importance of rest, recovery and sleep for health and performance, which is definitely a good thing…but still often misunderstood
My thoughts:
Many people think “rest” means doing nothing - certainly nothing physically - but then “nothing” becomes doom-scrolling, snacking on rubbish and drinking alcohol…
That's not nothing, nor is it restorative - that's sedating or dopamine chasing
And whilst I completely get the desire to switch off and zone out, it's important to consider what that urge really means
Often when people feel tired they are not physically tired - they're mentally tired
And if they are physically tired it's through lack of sleep (specifically SWS/deep sleep) rather than from physical exertion
Even if you are one of the few who is genuinely physically tired from physical exertion, it's still rare that doing “nothing” is the best course of action
If that urge to do nothing sounds familiar the best thing to do is in fact…MOVE
> Movement gets us out of our heads and the thought loops
> Movement means we can detach ourselves from devices, notifications and comparison
> If you're not sleeping well, one of the best strategies is to tire yourself out physically.
> If you're not physically active, start moving - doesn't have to be extreme
> If you are generally physically active but are thinking of skipping your exercise because you feel tired, think again: get started - you might surprise yourself. Or, if necessary, modify what you plan on doing: walk rather than run, do a mobility session rather than life weights…but keep the routine
That urge to rest is often telling us we need to re-energise ourselves, and movement - contrary to popular belief - is, done the right way, energising
