Invest in Rest – Part 2

by Rici van Schalkwyk | January 21, 2025

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.” – Aristotle Onassis

During my summer holiday, I was fortunate to spent time near the ocean. The sound of the waves is calming. Being able to just sit, watch the waves and feel the breeze is relaxing. I experienced a peacefulness with the constant sound and movement of the sea. The intensity of the waves change, but not the perpetual motion. Even calm seas have waves. It never ceases.

The world in which we live is similar. The demands, pressure and pace never cease. We are in a culture of high-achievement and high-productivity that has the potential to leave us chronically tired and burnt-out. As I return from leave, I have realised that sleep and an odd vacation is no longer sufficient to rest enough for the demands on us. We need more comprehensive and sustainable rest regularly. We need a lifestyle and culture change.

In Invest in Rest – Part 1 wauko I discussed why we need rest to be successful.  But what is rest? The Cambridge Dictionary defines rest as follows:

  1. To (cause someone or something to) stop doing a particular activity or stop being active for a period of time in order to relax and get back your strength.
  2. To lie or lean on something, or to put something on something else so that its weight is supported.
  3. To remain in a particular state or place.

This definition does not define rest as sleep or vacationing. Rest requires relaxation, support and replenishing your strength, if we just focus on this definition. This implies that rest will differ from individual to individual and from circumstance to circumstance.

Types of rest

In her book, Sacred Rest, Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith identifies 7 key areas in our life that requires restoration. Sleep or a vacation does not give us all 7 types of rest in sufficient quantities. Here are the 7 types she identified and examples of how to get this rest:

  1. Physical rest – We need rest from the physical activities that leave us feeling fatigued. This type of rest includes sleep and napping (passive), but also yoga, stretching or massages (active physical rest). Any gentle movements assist with physical rest can be seen as active physical rest.
  2. Mental rest – The brain is constantly processing information, making decisions and solving problems. We can then find it hard to turn off our thoughts and worries. Taking short breaks during the workday and mindfulness practices can assist with mental fatigue. Practice your hobbies that allow your mind to wander. Journaling or jotting down your thoughts before bedtime eases your ability to fall asleep.
  3. Sensory rest – Computer screens, bright lights, multiple conversations and background noise constantly stimulate our senses. This leads to sensory overload. Sensory rest includes shutting down electronic devices before bedtime (ideally 45 minutes before), spending time in nature and just enjoying quietness. This reduces the strain on our senses and leads to a more calm and focused state of mind.
  4. Emotional rest – The frantic pace, high expectations and having to be ‘fine’ suppresses our emotions and adds internal pressure. Emotional rest requires a safe space to be authentic and deal with emotions in a healthy way. It takes courage to be authentic about what we feel and to step away from emotionally draining situations. Seek support when you need it. Emotional rest leads to higher emotional intelligence and improved relationships.
  5. Creative rest Problem solving, creating new ideas and brainstorming requires us to have creative rest. We need to be inspired to be creative. Spending time in nature, looking at art, reading a book or listening to music can spark creativity. Sometimes it is something as simple as stepping away from a task or project for a while to allow the mind to refresh without pressure.
  6. Social rest Social rest refers to charging our ‘social battery’. You need to understand more than just being an introvert or extrovert (do you get energy from spending time with others or does spending time with others drain you). You also need to understand that there are relationships that revive you and relationships that exhaust you. Understanding the limits of your social battery will help you know when to recharge. For social rest surround yourself with positive people that will support you.
  7. Spiritual rest Spiritual rest feeds the need to connect with something greater than us. Finding purpose and meaning beyond the daily routine and struggles. Spiritual rest can be found in activities like community involvement, meditation and prayer. These activities provide greater perspective and a sense of calm.

Thus, to really rest we need to build personalised practices into our lifestyle to provide more than just physical rest.

Conclusion

We have long since passed the point where we need to consider more rest. We need to rest more, but the right type of rest.

Understand what type of rest deficit you are experiencing and in Part 3 we will explore techniques to incorporate the right type of rest into your life and business.

“Rest is necessary to recharge your batteries so that you can jump higher and shine brighter later on.” – Unknown

At wauperform we believe in building performance management from the business to the workforce, to have sustainable growth. We will gladly assist you with the process. Contact Rici van Schalkwyk on 021 819 7817 or at rvanschalkwyk@wauko.com to learn more.

 

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