Are you getting enough rest?
Imagine this: You wake up in the morning to your own natural body clock, feeling energised and ready for the day. You know you are awake early enough to get ready for your day without needing to rush to beat the clock. You know you don’t need to rely on coffee so that isn’t even a thought that crosses your mind as you get ready. Your workout feels great, and it has you feeling even more energised than beforehand. Throughout the day your mood is stable, your thoughts are clear, you maintain focus easily and yet you are able to find those moments of peace and stillness throughout the day to keep you feeling centred and grounded when unexpected hiccups inevitably occur. Come the standard mid-afternoon slump time, you have a macro balanced and delicious meal ready and waiting for you which means you don’t need to worry about unwanted sugar cravings sneaking up on you, and come the evening you are ready to wind down without feeling drained.
Now ask yourself this: When was the last time you actually experienced a day like this? Do you remember that day, and how you felt- both emotionally and within your body?
Unfortunately for us all, it seems to have become standard practice that ‘busier is better’. In fact, it would appear that it has become an unspoken competition to become THE busiest and be able to juggle the highest number of plates at once with the least apparent resistance, minimum apparent effort and all with zero complaints.
💫 How many times have you heard someone say, or read a comment online from someone CONGRATULATING someone else because they seem to be ‘doing it all’ and ‘juggling it all so well’, or because they are embodying the ‘super-mum’ role ‘effortlessly’
💫 Have you noticed instead others being put down or having their lifestyle dismissed because they seem to be able to live a life of flow and ease, without following the ‘always busy’ trend?
💫 And what about those people who seem to be desperately trying to keep up with their own busy schedule but who are visibly struggling with the load of it all? Comments such as ‘Maybe you could try organising yourself better.’, ‘Only two more days until the weekend. You are almost there.’, ‘you’ve got this.’, ‘If X can do it, you can too.’, or ‘This is just life.’ Are unfortunately all too common.
Seriously.. whatever happened to celebrating someone living a life of balance, a life of flow, a life that is not filled with stress, chasing the clock, mental and physical breakdowns, the countdown until the next coffee, let alone the countdown until the weekend sleep-ins.
The problem with ‘busier is better’ is when it is not balanced by adequate rest and recovery. Obviously life happens- juggling work with the family with the social life with the study with the unexpected incidents IS a part of life, and it CAN be a hard juggle, especially when things seem to pile up.
However..
Without adequate rest and recovery as a part of your general day-to-day life, the imbalances created by the general business of life and consistent exposure to stress such as lowered levels of immunity, slower recovery time, and trouble sleeping, will start to compound.
Compounding results of stress without adequate rest and recovery can look like:
Mental and/or physical burnout;
Adrenal exhaustion and/or adrenal fatigue;
Chronic gut issues such as IBS or food intolerances;
Persistent hair and skin issues such as acne and hair loss;
Chronic low moods;
High blood pressure.
What are the signs and symptoms you want to look out for BEFORE you get to this point, to serve as an indicator for extra focus on rest and recovery?
Feeling irritable and cranky, and irritated by things that don’t usually bother you;
Being unable to think clearly without having at least one cup of coffee in the morning;
Feeling unable to get through the afternoon without some form of sugar;
Slower recovery from your workouts;
Lower sleep quality:
Constantly craving sugar or sweet, carb-heavy foods;
Struggling to eat at all;
Weight loss or weight gain;
Taking longer than you usually would to complete certain tasks;
Struggling to complete tasks that you usually wouldn’t think twice about completing;
Your home looking like a pig stie (if this is not normal for you);
Needing to strain to look at a screen;
Social avoidance;
Lacking interest in things that usually interest you a lot.
So let’s assume you are unable to take a day off work and looking after your family every time you notice one of the above signs and symptoms.. Yes, that would be ideal, however that would be far from realistic. Below are eight easy-to-incorporate and incredibly simple tips you can utilise throughout your day that that will NOT detract you from your daily routine. These quick and easy tips require little more than gentle reminders throughout the day until they become an added part of your routine, yet they will make a profound impact on the ability of your body to deal with heightened periods of stress and a constant go-go lifestyle, as they will incorporate elements of rest and recovery throughout the busy day! 😄
Eight easy-to-incorporate tips you can utilise every single day to maximise rest and recovery within the hustle and bustle of life:
Take regular three to five-minute breaks from your day to step outside and breathe fresh air.
Spend at least 15 minutes outside in nature.
Drink 2-3L of water every day.
Eat three macro-balanced meals each day.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Incorporate more things into your day that bring you genuine joy.
Ease the workout intensity when recovery is slow.
Lean inwards and focus on your breathing.
Remember- it is not necessarily about restricting yourself of those things that need to be done each day, nor is it about dropping entire aspects of your life solely to fit in rest and recovery. This is about creating a lifestyle that works for you no matter what life throws at you, and implementing strategies and routines within your day that remind you to pause, take a beat, calm your nervous system down, and let your body work at its best. This way you are already in the habit of listening to your body and acknowledging when it needs for you to dial back, and you are actively looking for ways to recharge wherever and whenever you can. Not only will this help to prevent burnout and fatigue, it will dramatically increase your overall quality of life and your zest for life!!
Comment below which of these eight tips you already incorporate, and which tips you are going to implement into your life. I would love to read!
Mon xx
