Sometimes, finding deep relaxation isn’t in more rest, but the quality of your rest. I invite you to join me to find deep rest in your self-care routine to learn how to rest deeply for more stress free days.
Why You Don’t Feel Rested
You’re Passively Resting
What is passive resting? This is when you do activities that use little physical effort, but aren’t completely rejuvenating, either. Here are a few examples:
- Binge watching your favorite series
- Doom scrolling
- Lying down with no mindfulness or relaxation guidance
These passive forms of rest aren’t bad. I don’t believe there is any bad form of rest. There isn’t anything wrong with you for still feeling stressed after doing these activities. They just simply don’t include all aspects of a truly restful experience.
How passive rest creates relaxation
Since passive rest is still resting, here are a few ways it can help you unwind:
- Physical rest – you’re not lifting, walking, or doing anything strenuous. We all need physical rest to recover, and lounging is one way for your body to recover.
- Mental distractions – It’s nice once in a while to allow a show or Instagram to distract you from daily frustrations. Have you ever watched an adorable video of puppies to bring a smile to your face? Mental distractions provide a rest from constantly dwelling on a stressful moment in your day.
- Mental rest – It takes little mental effort to watch your favorite movie instead of solving daily problems and creating solutions. This is a gentle break for your thinking brain to unwind and relax.
Why passive rest doesn’t fully relax you
These passive forms of rest also may cause more stress. Social media is a breeding ground for comparisons and watching humanity through an unfiltered lens. While your body is at rest, your mind may become overstimulated and prevent that ultimate relaxation feeling.
When you don’t fully take part in your rest, your body and brain can’t go into deep relaxation. You’re getting only a small amount of what could be a deeply restful moment.
There is a simple way to create much deeper, more fulfilling rest: practice active rest.
How To Rest Deeply With Active Rest
There is one major difference between passive and active rest: mindfulness. In passive rest, your mind is typically elsewhere, either focusing on your show or phone. When you intentionally rest, the effects are much more rewarding.
How Does Active Rest Promote Deep Relaxation?
Active relaxation techniques activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This promotes feelings of calm, gentleness, and ease. You reduce stress and anxiety, and experience more restful sleep.
These techniques let your body know that you’re safe and that it’s time for rest. You’ll be able to release more muscular tension, create more mental breaks, and overall feel you actually rested.
Active Rest Practices
Here are a few practices to explore to find deep, meaningful rest:
Breathwork – known in yoga as pranayama, breathwork creates relaxation through specific ways of breathing. I invite you to read this blog post for breathwork exercises that release trauma and tension in your body.
Mindfulness Meditation – This is to shift you into the present moment to allow a deep focus on your body, surroundings, breath, or other focus depending on your meditation.
Yoga – This practice has stood the test of time for a reason – its ability to create deep rest and relaxation is real. As a student and teacher, this practice is my all-time favorite for unwinding and releasing tension.
There are many more techniques than the ones listed to activate your parasympathetic nervous system for rest, and I invite you to read 15 more exercises in this blog post.
Overview
I still think there are benefits to passive rest. Sometimes, you just need a Harry Potter marathon or to watch pointless, hilarious videos. Active rest still requires effort, so I welcome you to start small and balance these types of rest.
The more manageable you make your routines, the more it’s likely you’ll return to experience their effects. I hope you find your version of deep rest, and thank you for reading.
