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| Re-new -- Re-store -- Re-create ---- YOURSELF! |
It has been my observation that many of the ills
that modern people experience stem from neglecting to do the basic things. We get
sloppy in our nutrition then depend on micromanaging our supplements to manage
a myriad of bugaboos. We neglect exercise then suffer the ill effects of
obesity. We get too consumed by the business of life to the point it’s an
addiction …we don’t allow ourselves time even to sleep... then wonder why we
are so stressed.
From both my chiropractic and counselling
perspective, most of our ills would resolve by just doing the basic things –
eat a wholesome diet (more fruits, veggies, whole grains; less meat, dairy, and
egg); alcohol - if at all - in moderation; invigorating exercise; stimulating/satisfying
work; quality sleep and adequate rest; time to reflect; live within one’s means;
separate material wants from needs; be involved in something greater than one’s
self.
Along that line I offer the following tome…
Please note that the author of the original article is respectfully listed at the end... I have liberally adapted.
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| YOUR day of Rest-oration |
Reclaiming a Day of Rest
Choose
activities that you enjoy for your day of rest. Ask yourself, “Is this restful?
Does this restore me?” The answers will be different for everyone.
For many of us,
busy work weeks end with weekends jam-packed with back-to-back errands,
household chores and other obligations. With these hectic schedules, the idea
of taking an entire day just to relax may sound laughable. But while taking a
day off might feel like a luxury we can’t afford, a day of rest may actually be
a health imperative we can’t afford to give up.
Our bodies (and minds) require rest to be
healthy. The negative impacts of stress range from tight muscles and
irritability to increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart conditions and
cancer. Not taking vacation time has been found to increase risk of heart
attack in men by 32 percent. Rather than considering a day of rest a luxury, we
should consider it a necessity.
Testing
Out Rest
Humans have long recognized the value of
taking a day to relax and abstain from labour. The tradition exists in
religions and cultures from around the globe, from modern Christianity to
ancient Babylonia. But of course, observing a day of rest
doesn’t have to be tied to any specific religion or culture—it’s all about
relaxation, whatever that means to you.
Several years ago, in the midst of a
way-too-busy life, I decided to create my own weekly day of rest. I wasn’t
concerned about limiting my use of cars, computers or other tools; what I
needed was freedom. So I decreed that I could do anything my heart desired on
Sundays, as long as it entailed no sense of obligation.
Sounds lovely, right? I could not believe
how hard it was. Those first few Sundays found me playing computer games for
hours. Simple relaxation and self-indulgence were too unfamiliar. I’d been
driven for so long by my sense of responsibility that it took many Sundays for
me to learn to just breathe and enjoy.
I am so glad I did. Not only did I ease
into naps under the oak tree and aimless country drives, but these new habits
had a ripple effect throughout the rest of my week. In the midst of a busy
workday, I began to notice when I was flagging and would take a restorative
break. The result? I cleared my head and got more done.
I still work hard, but learning to
balance work and rest is one of the best moves I’ve ever made. In a culture
hell-bent on winding us all up to the snapping point, that’s no small matter.
Reasons
to Rest
For many of us, the idea of taking a day
off every week can be frightening; a day off is a day lost, a day of falling
behind on the never-ending to-do list, a day that could be spent doing
something useful. Guilty feelings leap up, as if we owe it to others to grind
ourselves into oblivion. Our sense of worth is so often wrapped up in what we
do—especially for others—that it’s difficult to stop. And when everyone around
us works without rest, we fear we’ll appear lazy and self-indulgent if we step
off the treadmill.
But driving ourselves to be productive at
all times actually makes us less productive. Our bodies require (not just
prefer) regular rest in order to function well and keep on going. While stress
brings on illness and fatigue, relaxation makes us physically healthier. And
many studies confirm the importance of rest, in both small and large doses, in
keeping our minds working at peak efficiency. Quite simply, a day of rest makes
us more productive the rest of the week.
A day off also can improve our
relationships both at home and at work, making us less likely to snap at our
children, spouses and coworkers. It lets us unwind and spend unhurried time
with friends and family. And most important, it will make us live longer,
healthier lives, allowing us to do more to help others and the world for a much
longer span.
Linda Ross teaches college English. A
couple of years ago, she was burned out, depleted and contemplating a leave of
absence. Then she turned to the ancient wisdom of Sabbath practice. Her
standard: “On Sunday, I don’t do anything that feels like work.” In the past,
Linda dreaded Sundays because they were the last day before Monday, the big
workday. “Now I look forward to all of Sunday,” she says. “It’s so restorative,
and my life feels balanced.”
Food journalist and cookbook author Mark
Bittman (author of How to Cook Everything) decided to unplug one day a
week after he realized that only when asleep was he not talking on the phone,
texting or checking email. He turned off his phones, TV, computer and PDA, and
found forgotten pleasure in reading books, napping, sipping herbal tea, gazing
out the window and taking a walk without earbuds. “Once I moved beyond the fear
of being unavailable and what it might cost me, I experienced what, if I wasn’t
such a skeptic, I would call a lightness of being,” he writes of the experience
in his 2008 New York Times article, “I Need a Virtual Break. No,
Really.” “I felt connected to myself rather than my computer.”
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| Would you rather collapse at the workstation? |
Questions?
… Do you live to work, or work to live? What is the reason you labour? When you
are on your death bed what will you wish you had done more of?
A day of rest is for filling your well,
feeding your soul and rejuvenating your mind and body. It’s about stepping aside,
just for a day, from the killing illusion that the world depends on your
efforts. It’s a time to surrender to something much larger and deeper than your
individual, try-hard self—and to realize that the world keeps right on going,
even when you pause long enough to enjoy it.
Design Your Day of Rest
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| Do something Re-newing |
Make up your day of rest any way you want
to. Start by considering what you most need a break from. It could be something
specific, such as driving a car, or something more general, such as
perfectionism. Think about the activities, obligations and attitudes that
pervade your days, and ask: “Is this restful? Does this restore me?”* The
answers will be different for everyone. If you consider cooking a chore,
prepare meals ahead of time to eat on your day off, or indulge by going out to
eat. If you love cooking, use your day off to make an elaborate feast. Forgo
paying bills online if it causes you stress, but don’t ban the computer if your
favorite leisure activity is catching up with friends online. For each activity,
ask if it helps you relax and, if the answer is no, leave it out of your day
off.
*The issue is not necessarily resting....though if rest is what you need, then do so. From
the religious/philosophical perspective, a day of rest is a day to take time away from your regular obligations and day to re-new – re-store
- re-create - re-energize your being.
If you have a family, include them in
planning the day. You may want to share relaxing experiences on your day of
rest, or (if you’re usually together) you may want to build in some alone time.
Once you experience the bliss of regular
downtime, you may find the healing effects spreading to other days of the week.
Perhaps you’ll claim some restful evenings, or pause several times a day for a
moment of mindfulness. As self-restoration becomes a habit, you’ll become more
in tune with your own rhythms, making yourself healthier, calmer and happier.
Your
Easiest To-Do List
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| Making love is not necessarily having sex! |
Here are some elements to consider
including in your day of rest (but not too many at once!):
• A shared meal
• Candlelight
• Music
• Silence
• Reading
• Deep breathing
• Strolling
• Time in nature
• Meditation
• Long baths
• Gazing at the moon and stars
• Opening and closing rituals
• A blessing
• Doing nothing at all
• Candlelight
• Music
• Silence
• Reading
• Deep breathing
• Strolling
• Time in nature
• Meditation
• Long baths
• Gazing at the moon and stars
• Opening and closing rituals
• A blessing
• Doing nothing at all
Let
It Go
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| Come to the glade - it beacons you... |
If you’re struggling with feelings of
guilt* over taking a day to do absolutely nothing, remind yourself:
1. I can take a day off.
2. I deserve to!
3. I need to!
4. The world needs me to – well not really. The world – out there - doesn’t give a rat’s ass if you work yourself to an early grave…. and the world will take as much as you can give and then more… without one but of gratitude. You create your world and it’s up to you to find balance and purpose within it.
2. I deserve to!
3. I need to!
4. The world needs me to – well not really. The world – out there - doesn’t give a rat’s ass if you work yourself to an early grave…. and the world will take as much as you can give and then more… without one but of gratitude. You create your world and it’s up to you to find balance and purpose within it.
*Is this true guilt or you getting caught up in your sense of should? Don't SHOULD on yourself.
Derived from and credit to the original
article: http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/mind-and-body/day-of-rest-zmez13jfzmel.aspx
By Carol Venolia. Carol Venolia is an architect and
freelance writer whose website, Come Home to Nature with Carol Venolia, and ebook, Get Back to Nature Without Leaving Home,
help people connect with the natural world.
Read more: http://www.motherearthliving.com/print.aspx?id={AB531251-7DB6-4172-98CD-DC25108557B6}#ixzz2lNXUb4g8
Supplementary links:
