The rushed pace of modern life without sufficient time for restoration is a formula for accelerated aging, both mentally and physically.

Chronic stress causes harm at the cellular level.

Persistent stress runs you down, but a truly restorative state can alter your body at the cellular level to counterbalance this deterioration. Reflect on the sense of calm you feel when sitting to read a book, the reset of a walk in nature, the peace from a quiet morning meditation or evening prayer. Maybe gardening, knitting or working on your hobby clears your head. What we may already know intuitively is also strongly backed by science.

Research behind rest and repair reaffirms why your body, mind and spirit need that delicate balance between pushing forward and blooming where you are at:

Surveys by the American Psychological Association suggest almost half of adults who responded to a 2023 survey agreed at least somewhat with the statement “my stress makes going to work [or] school increasingly difficult.”

It is important to understand that stress is normal, and it’s impossible to completely rid your life of it. Instead, the focus should be on developing greater skills for managing it and keeping a healthy mindset. Finding the right ways to achieve deep rest and repair is the key to neutralizing the effects of ongoing stress. Engaging in practices like meditation, yoga, and prayer, is beneficial for psychological and physical well-being by optimizing cellular energy consumption. Researchers support this effect in the journal Psychological Review (January 2024).

Certain practices, those that cultivate inner well-being and a calmer mind, can open the door to a restorative state. Meditation and yoga are two of the most recognized intentional practices, but many others exist. Prayer, spiritual reading, the therapeutic relaxation of spending time in nature, and movement-based practices like tai chi and qigong can similarly calm and focus mind and body. Other people may find hobbies like knitting or painting contemplative and soothing. Researchers say that regardless of form, these practices send signals to the brain telling you that you are safe, leaving way to a calmer mind and relaxed body.

Embrace Rest and Repair for a More Fulfilling Life.

Now that you know the science behind rest and its transformative effects, it is clear that incorporating regular rest and relaxation into your day is key for enhanced well-being and productivity.

Here are some top ways to harness the power of rest:

• Take Strategic Breaks: Integrate short breaks into your work schedule. Engage in activities that promote relaxation and mental rejuvenation, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or a short walk outdoors.
• Breathe Deep: Many practices, including quality sleep, result in deeper and slower breathing which signals the repair and restoration of the stress response. When you are running from one thing to another all day long in a stressed state, you are not breathing slowly and certainly not exhaling fully. The act of fully and slowly exhaling your breath can signal the body and brain to slow down. Slowing your breathing initiates a sense of calm and slows the heart rate. The vagus nerve, which passes information between the brain and internal organs, lets the brain know of this change. Your brain then switches off the stress response, allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to take over, reinforcing the shift. Your heart rate continues to drop, digestion increases, your muscles relax. Meanwhile, your sense of ease grows, and you feel at peace. So don’t forget to stop and take a deep breath.
• Quality Sleep: Prioritize sleep hygiene by creating a healthy sleep environment and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to maximize repair, cognitive function, and problem-solving abilities.
• Engage in a Variety of Activities: Alternate between focused work sessions and activities that promote creative thinking. Take active breaks or do something that energizes and lifts your spirits. This variety enhances your brain’s ability to tackle complex challenges by utilizing different cognitive pathways.
• Practice Mindfulness: Cultivate mindfulness through practices like meditation or journaling. Try to be in the moment more often. Being in the present mind, makes it very difficult to continue stressing about the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness practices calm the mind, enhance self-awareness, and facilitate innovative thinking.
• Take Self-Care Serious: Make yourself a priority and commit to time allotted for relaxation and recovery daily. Recognize the importance of physical recovery after demanding activities. Adequate nutrition, hydration, and post-exercise rest contribute to muscle repair and overall vitality.

Just as your physical body mends and repairs during periods of rest, so too does your mind. The body, mind, and spirit will flourish when given the time to unwind and rejuvenate. By embodying strategic rest as an integral part of your life, you unlock the potential to improved cognitive abilities, heightened creativity, and a more fulfilling journey toward success.