Ready to wake up from this recurring nightmare? This past year (year+, now!) has felt like being stuck in one of those classic dreams about showing up completely unprepared for an exam—racing hearts, shallow breathing, confusion, aloneness, and obliterated self-efficacy.
So much has been out of your control, it’s hard to remember what you can control. You are emotionally and physically exhausted from simply processing all the news, loss, disruption, trauma, and grief, and there’s still a long way to go. How can you find the kind of hope daylight brings, even in the dark of winter?
It’s out there, and while you may not be able to use the same tools you were using before to keep up the faith, you can capture some really hard-earned lessons of this past year, reflect on what matters most to you, and create a new path forward to honor that. You can use science and wisdom to build new, realistic strategies to feel more prepared for challenges ahead. You can heal mind, body, and spirit, adapt and grow…But first, you need REST!!!
In every class I’ve led in the past few months, I’ve asked participants to describe how they are feeling. Emotions run the gamut, but ‘exhausted’ takes the prize, with ‘frustrated’ a close second. Your tired, over-stressed brain is not alone. People are hitting the pandemic wall.
Even if you’ve been stuck at home with less to do, and are sleeping more or even too much, ask yourself if you are getting enough truly restorative rest, both quiet mind time and effective sleep. The on and off boundaries for our minds have been blurred. Floundering to hold onto focus and purpose takes huge mental and emotional energy, as does regulate the roller coaster of emotions needed to process the news, conflicting information, losses, and uncertainty.
If more rest is what you accomplish in the next month—BRAVO!!! You are creating a smarter, more resilient mind. Every single one of your cells thank you; your mind thanks you; your heart thanks you; your family, friends, and coworkers thank you. Your inner critic will likely rise up kicking and screaming, “Keep busy! Push on! You’re lazy! You’re going to miss your opportunity!” But tell him/her to go take a nap—you’ve got this!
Your rested mind can make better sense of challenges, hold healthier perspectives, make better choices, keep values and priorities in order, handle stress better, find hope, guide self-healing, create smarter solutions, be more present for those who matter.
Have 3 minutes to hit refresh for your brain cells?
Your rested body can repair itself, fight off infections, undo the toxicities of stress, help vaccines work more effectively, and find the energy to do more good in the world.
10 Ways to Give Your Brain Some Rest (besides hibernation):
1. Start with tiny steps—no need to panic your brain! Turn off tech 30 min earlier. Go to bed 15 min earlier.
2. Set your ‘smart whatever’ to go off mid-morning and mid-afternoon for a 5-min break. Move away from your screens. Get up and stretch. Rest your eyes by closing them or looking out the window.
3. Start to notice which activities hit the refresh button for you. Which bog you down?
4. Study up on sleep hygiene and brainstorm what you might try.
5. Try guided meditations to give your mind a break. So many good apps for this: Insight Timer, Calm, Breethe, Headspace, 10% Happier, Breathwrk, etc.
6. Use music to lift or calm your mental state.
7. Use your senses. Smell is particularly powerful. Try some calming lavender oil.
8. Take a listening break for 5 min. Turn off all sounds and just notice what’s ambient.
9. When you feel your energy start to dip, don’t automatically reach for the caffeine. What does your body really need?
10. Give up that popular delusion that if you take a break, you’ll lose your focus/mojo/drive. Trust you are refreshing your operating system.
Close a few tabs for your tired brain. Don’t let exhaustion rob you off your gifts. Learning habits to recharge will support your brilliance and resilience for life!
What’s working for you? What’s not?
And how can I help you create your best happy, healthy, whole human life?
Let’s be in touch!
