Rest: The Importance of Sleep and Giving Your Body Rest
- 21 Sep, 2022
Rest: The Importance of Sleep and Giving Your Body Rest
In our modern times, we live in rooms filled with blue light from our cell phones and computer screens. Which affects our circadian rhythm by inhibiting the production of melatonin.
Day in and day out, we give all of ourselves each day. We are willing to sacrifice ourselves for our goals, families, and future. However, to keep grinding is not how we can sustainably achieve our goals.
The natural rhythm of the world is to work and recover, which is the principle of yin and yang. Yin energy is the feminine aspect resting and going in, and Yang energy is the masculine force of doing like working or working out.
We need to follow this relationship to achieve balance. Too far on either side can be detrimental. But today, we will go over strategies on how to rest adequately.
Different Forms of Rest
There are a couple of different forms of rest passive rest and active rest. What is the objective of a rest day? It is to help recharge one's mental and physical energy. When we work out, we think that it’s working out that makes us stronger. What makes us stronger is resting. In this cycle we give our body a stress response e.g., lifting weights and when we eat, sleep, etc. is when we recover.
There are two primary forms of rest active rest and passive rest. Active rest is where we are not necessarily taking the day off but doing activities that do not raise the heart rate. Activities like self or personal massage, mobility, or light exercises like walking, yoga, or tai chi. The goal is to get the blood flow going through the body. For instance, a runner will go for a bike ride or a light jog.
Passive rests activities like sitting in a hammock or reading a book. It's something that doesn't take any energy at all. It means spending time being still and letting your body rest.
How to Incorporate Active Rest and Passive Rest into Your Life
Incorporating a new habit or idea into your life can be challenging. However, in times like this, we need to rely on our principles and habits. It is the mark of a disciplined and confident individual taking time off to recover. A simple question to figure out when to schedule an active rest or passive rest day is when do you have time off? If you follow a typical work schedule of working Monday through Friday. Then you can have an active recovery day on Saturday and a passive rest day on Sunday.
The day of the week doesn't matter. It just matters that you follow your exercise programming and work schedule. We must take time to recharge our batteries.
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is one of the most effective tools for rebuilding your body. During sleep, our body physically repairs itself and mentally repairs itself. It's understood that you need 8 hours of sleep a day. Lack of sleep has been attributed to weight gain, stress, depression, and anxiety. It is understood that we should go to sleep in r accordance with our natural circadian rhythm, which follows the sun's daily cycle.
Final Thoughts
Rest and sleep are some of the most important things we can do in our lives. We spend half of our lives sleeping, yet we do not give it the respect it deserves. The same goes for our waking hours, where we need to rest. It is now more important than ever to support our bodies and immune systems. Nature has given us the tools. It's up to us to use them.