As we approach Valentine’s day, I thought it would be interesting to explore the sometimes maligned activity of resting. I've often wondered why many of us tend to feel guilty doing it, when it’s now clear that rest is one of the cornerstones of good health. Read on to learn why some people think reclaiming rest can be an act of resistance, and why embracing it could lead our society to a higher place.
Sleep - what does the science say
We have written before about the negative effects of poor sleep on overall health (read it here). In summary, poor sleep has been linked to a range of chronic health conditions including diabetes mellitus, obesity, depression and anxiety as well as self reports of poor quality of life. It’s now understood that up to 20% of 20-45 year olds are sleeping 1.5 hours less than the amount required to maintain good health, and sleep quality in general decreases as we age. Bad sleep in often caused by our longer work hours, increased access to television, internet, and mobile phones (1)
Waking rest - almost as important?
When it comes to maintaining good physical and mental health, experts state that exercise, nutrition and sleep are the 3 cornerstones. However, some consider that ‘waking rest’ is the fourth, possibly overlooked key factor, particularly when it tomes to achieving good sleep and mental health (2).
They define waking rest as ‘a period of quiet, reflective thought that allows the brain time to consider and process whatever arises spontaneously.’ It should be done without distractions like television or social media, and be carried out while inactive or performing a repetitive low- energy activity like walking or folding washing (3).
Rest as Resistance
I came across the author Tricia Hersey, author of Rest is Resistance (4) and founder of The Nap Ministry (5) when she was interviewed on Radio National in 2023 (6). Her ideas are radical and potentially ground-breaking for building a more humane and caring society.
She believes we are caught up in the idea that we are only as important as the work we do. She considers that this belief is based on a society that was built on a foundation of slavery, where capitalism values us as workers, and not as beings of innate value. She states that rest can be a radical, counter-cultural practice of liberation from this ‘slavery’ mindset.
She challenges the idea that ‘the more busy I am the greater my worth’. She states that resting should be prioritised, but not so we can work harder and be more productive. We should rest because ‘it’s our divine and human right to do so’.
Tricia Hersey believes the 24/7 online work culture that is responsible for our inadequate sleep and ill health should be challenged at a community level. She views social media as another arm of capitalism, and the technology of the online world as a barrier to communicating with each other in more traditional ways. She sees the practice of rest as a means of disrupting capitalism and the white supremacism that permeates our society.
How to Rest
- Napping - this will help resolve our sleep deficit, and may be our first port of call, because getting adequate sleep is so critical to physical and mental health. One of the tenets of Tricia Hersey’s book is that ‘naps provide a portal to imagine, invent and heal’.
- Waking rest. There are many ways to do this. One article I came across suggests the following approach (7):
- Journaling - this can act as a means of processing negative thoughts that interfere with our sleep, reducing anxiety, mental distress and depression.
- Walking can take us out of ourselves and help us process thoughts and solve problems.
- Sleep hygiene - we discuss this in detail in our recent blog that also incorporates a beautiful night time Mokosh skin care routine into your wind down phase (read it here).
Tricia Hersey describes performing an activity done purely for pleasure as a form of rest - dancing, walking or meditating are examples. She advocates adding a full rest day each week to your calendar, where you do no work, stay away from emails and social media, engaging only in activities that connect you with mind, body and spirit.
As she states: ‘Resting is not frivolous - it will let us tap into the inventive and imaginative ideas that will get us into the next dimension.'
REFERENCES:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547676/
- https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/42/10/zsz138/5575658
- https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/42/10/zsz138/5575658
- Rest as Resistance
- The Nap Ministry,
- Radio National
- 'A good night's sleep..."
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