The Value of Rest

My mind

Is calm and resigned

As I tread on the fallen leaves.

Iida Dakotsu

Rest and sleep are different and both equally vital.

Definition of Sleep: Sleep is a recurring time where eyes are closed, consciousness and how the brain works is altered, the muscles relax.

Definition of Rest: A time where your body and or mind pause to regain mental or physical strength. Sometimes doing something active can be restful for your mind. Sometimes engaging in more creative/academic pursuits can be restful for your body.

We need sleep for repair of the body, metabolism, hormones, memory, development (which is why as we get older we need less and less sleep) and a healthy heart.

Yet we also need rest. Rest is not optional. “Work hard, play hard – get some sleep in the end” is not ideal long term.

Bodies and minds need an occasional pause. This pause time can help us manage our tiredness. Ignoring tiredness can increase stress on the body and mind. While it is normal to ignore tiredness occasionally (during exams, new parents, during temporary stressful times at work, during travel and so on) – long term ignoring of rest can be unhelpful for our mental health, memory, immunity, cardiac well-being and metabolism.

Rest looks different for everyone. Some people find reading restful, others find it a bit too much ‘work’. Some people love music and a candle, some people find that stifling or prefer silence. Some people find exercise restfully therapeutic, others find exercise the least restful. Some people find texting or phoning friends restful some people find that over-stimulating.

Yet it is taking this pause that is the most tricky and sometimes even overwhelming thing. We live in a culture that tells us “rest is for wimps” “rest is for lazy people” “successful people don’t rest” “if I rest I wont complete this project/essay/powerpoint presentation”.

While we are mindful that no one is going to always get the perfect balance of rest at all times and sometimes getting the perfect amount of rest is unrealistic, at Breaking the Rules we look at the rules we need to break to enable as much rest as possible. We look at the right rest for you as an individual.