Wherever I look, I see a lot of rushing. We’re running back and forth, huffing and puffing in a bid to get things done. Perhaps we feel that if we don’t get a move on life will pass us by. We have goals to achieve, places to go and problems to solve. Nothing at all wrong with that, but how many times do we stop to think about what this is doing to that ‘lean, mean grilling’ machine- our body? My guess is not as often as we should!
Disease never comes without a cause. And among the causes is lack of rest and relaxation. Without realising it when we don’t take the time to sit still, stand and stare or smell the roses, we inflict disease upon ourselves.
Rest and relaxation implies that we allow ourselves freedom from the cares of this world. It implies that we slow down and give ourselves a well deserved break. Not always easy and sometimes may seem impossible as troubles, strife seem to grip us at every turn, sucking life out of our very souls. Nevertheless, our bodies weren’t designed to keep gripping and grinding. We thrive more when we take the time to rest and relax, giving nature the time to revive and restore us.
Sleep – not only does sleep give our musculoskeletal framework a break, it gives our brain time to process and digest the information thta would’ve been absorbed during the day. It is a well known scientific fact that people filter a lot of information in order to retain specific information, therefore, when you give the brain a chance to rest it sorts and synthesizes this information for retrieval from the long term memory.
– rest decreases the chance of making mistakes at work as your mind is more focussed and rejuvenated. This in turn avoids the stress that comes with dealing with disgrantled colleagues as well as family members. The equation is that simple!
– ever heard of the expression ‘I need my beauty sleep? Well, I use it quite often and I find that after a good night’s rest when I look in the mirror the following morning, I like what I see. I don’t have bags under my eyes or panda eyes. Not only that, my skin glows too.
Physical activity– there is scientific evidence to suggest that physical activity reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, mental health problems and musculoskeletal disorders.
-physical activity has been shown to play a part in the reduction of psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and other emotional disturbances. Relationships are also strenghtened when we engage in physical activities as this encourages social interaction.
So find that which enables you to relax and give yourself the break that you deserve. Go fishing, play a game of cards with a friend, laugh, sit on the beach and breath some fresh air or indeed spread a blanket under a tree and lie down. Forget your load for a while. Who knows, perhaps by the time you’re done resting and relaxing something in you would have clicked!!
References: The Benefits of Rest, Reprieve, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation by John A. Lanier.
The Ministry of Healing: Health and Happiness.
Bertha Mukodzani is a Registered Nurse, Published Author, Blogger and Writer of many articles for various publications. For more about her published works click here
