Essential Rest

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

12 Dec 2006 12:55 PM

Your body needs rest.

Rest doesn't mean sleep. Rest means taking a break BEFORE you collapse! It means giving yourself time throughout the day for a little mental vacation. Rest helps your body fight stress and disease. It gives you back a sense of balance and patience.

How do you know if you're in desperate need of rest? Ask yourself a few questions:

• Are you having trouble making simple decisions? Like what to wear or what to eat?
• Are you feeling like you're on your last nerve? Are you short tempered and snapping at people who don't deserve it?
• Are you having trouble focusing on work? Is the computer screen blank?
• Are you procrastinating more than usual?
• Do you find yourself staring off into space in a daze when you should be doing something?
• Is just about every second of your day scheduled and full of things to do and places to go?

You may need to start scheduling rest into your day to help yourself stay sane and keep functioning! Remember the days of nursery school and kindergarten with nap time built into the day? You might want to think about adding rest breaks to your busy schedule.

Rest is essential for your good health! Put it on the list of things you need like air, water, food, sleep, touch, and exercise. Leave yourself notes around the house to remind you to rest, or actually schedule it into your calendar. Do whatever it takes to make sure you get time to rest.

For some people, the only time they stop to rest is when they stop to eat. If your body thinks the only rest is coming with food, you may find yourself snacking more or making poor food choices. Give yourself permission to rest WITHOUT food! Take a walk, try a hobby, watch television, listen to music -- do something for yourself without adding the calories you don't need.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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