From Monday Holden Cycling Collective Zwift Ride with Mari Holden.
We, humans, have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don't allow our bodies to heal, and we don't allow our minds and hearts to heal.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
From Mari Holden
As I was thinking about different topics that we could talk about today my mind was drawing a blank. I was just so tired from travel and work that I couldn’t think straight. I wanted to find something positive and inspiring but all I could think about was how I needed a nap.
And I reached out to a friend who told me that maybe that is what I should talk about. How sometimes we just need to unplug and rest. And it’s true… Rest is not an important part of training, but it also helps with emotional life.
So I found a great article about rest and also some reminder tips about sleep.
The Benefits Of Resting And How To Unplug In A Busy World
-By Heather Cherry-
Have you ever felt like you can't keep up with your daily tasks and deadlines?
What's even more challenging is maintaining your health, your job, and other responsibilities amongst uncertainties or moments of overwhelm—leaving you little to no time for rest.
However, rest is fundamental to success, health, and happiness. There are many distractions in this digital world, and always something (or someone) requiring your attention. No matter what your schedule or task list may look like, resting and unplugging is vital to your long-term health.
Here's why.
Heals Your Body
The human body is built to thrive in a series of short sprints.
This is why taking a break—even only for a few minutes—can offer you the refresh you need to persevere through your day. Breaks are brief cessations to work, physical exertion, or emotional stress. They promote mental health, boost creativity, increase productivity, promote well-being, reduce stress, improve mood, and strengthen relationships. The amount of rest required depends on your individual needs. If you didn't sleep well, feel angry, or stressed, you may require more frequent breaks. Adequate rest helps your body activate its inner healing cascade and return to a state of homeostasis. This is when your body can repair and recover.
Reduces Stress
Stress is an intrinsic aspect of life. For some, it may act as a stimulant, but for others, it feels more like a burden. Most definitions of stress invoke an internal or external challenge, disturbance, or stimulus, the perception of a challenge or physiologic response. Chronic stress suppresses your immune system and increases your risk of disease. During stress, your body experiences fight or flight—physiological arousal—heightening your senses due to perceived danger. You may experience an increased heart rate and blood pressure during this state, slowed digestive functioning, increased hormone levels (like cortisol), and other responses. The flight-or-flight response was the body's original means of survival during ancient history. It allowed our ancestors to protect themselves from unthinkable circumstances quickly. However, in the modern world, this response can be experienced numerous times and in various situations. Resting activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, which is the flight-or-fight response.
Boosts Creativity
When you take time to rest and relax, you are naturally more creative. Time off helps you refill your reserves. The quiet moments inspire reflection time, allowing you to break through creative barriers. Functional connectivity of brain data measures synchronized patterns of spontaneous brain activation during rest. As a result, you experience increasing solutions to open-ended problems, such as inventing new uses for objects.
Improves Productivity
Similar to other muscles, your brain is less functional when it's fatigued. You're always more productive after a restful period—one reason why Mondays are often filled with high-importance tasks or meetings; resting sharpens your brain. Taking time off will allow you to work more efficiently whenever you get back to it. Set aside one day each week to unplug to improve productivity and feel a greater sense of accomplishment.
Enhances Decision Making
The term "sleep on it" is accurate because rest improves your ability to make decisions. Working too long without rest reduces your concentration and can depreciate your emotional capacity. Regularly scheduled breaks—daily and weekly—allows you to refresh your perspective, and in turn, make better decisions. Rest is only significant when you purposefully do it. Here are some techniques you can implement in your daily schedule.
Restful Techniques
When life is busy, and task lists pile up, pencil rest into your schedule just as you would a meeting or appointment. Develop simple routines for your day that cue you to rest; it will make relaxing a breeze.
1. Practice GratitudeMost people focus on the 'big' things they're grateful for—instead, refocus your gratitude on the little things.
Research suggests positive thoughts and a grateful mind are more likely to create a happy disposition and boost overall satisfaction.
2. Take Deep Breaths Set a goal to take five deep breaths throughout your day.
Cue yourself at different intervals, which may be in an ordinary routine, i.e., in the morning while your coffee or tea brews or while you wait for your computer to turn on.
3. Cultivate Healthy HabitsExercise reduces the adverse effects of stress, improves mood, and regulates neurotransmitters and other hormones.
For optimal zen, try restful movements like yoga or stretching.
Mindfully practice relaxation; it is an essential aspect of life and should carry a similar weight to career objectives and other to-dos.
By turning your body "off" periodically, you can significantly improve your physical, emotional, and mental health.
4. Practice Sleep Hygiene Getting adequate sleep is vital for physical and mental health.
Often, good sleep starts with good habits.
Practice sleep hygiene by optimizing your sleep schedule, pre-bed routine, and daily routines—doing so will make quality sleep automatic.
Set a sleeping schedule with fixed wake-up times—making gradual adjustments to shift sleep times as necessary.
Follow a nightly routine and keep it consistent.
Partake in a ritual that may include spiritual nourishment like meditation before bed.
Unplug from electronics 30-60 minutes before bedtime, and dim your lights to allow your body’s natural melatonin production.
Now onto Sleep...
Full Article below 👇
We here like to monitor our sleep Using Oura but there are many sleep monitors on the market and I do know that some of you don’t like to monitor your sleep. We are all different and you need to figure out what works for you, but for us, the sleep monitor helps us stay focused on quality. A great night’s sleep is essential for being healthy, but quality shut-eye can help you look better too.
“Rest is essential for repairing skin,” says NYC dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D. Here’s how else it can help.
SMOOTHER, FIRMER SKINThe deeper layers of your skin are working at night to build new collagen, which makes your complexion smooth and firm.
Help keep wrinkles at bay by sleeping on your back instead of your side or facedown, suggests Jesleen Ahluwalia, M.D., a New York City dermatologist.
“Repeated pressure on the skin that causes creases can lead to set-in lines over time,” she adds.
MORE MILEAGE FROM YOUR PRODUCTSSkincare treatments are generally more effective at night, Dr. Jaliman explains, possibly because the skin is exposed to fewer environmental stressors while you’re holed up in your bedroom.
Studies show that new skin cells grow faster while you sleep, so take advantage of this period of renewal by using products that assist that process.
BRIGHTER, LESS-PUFFY EYESLack of restorative sleep can leave eyes swollen in the morning because elevated cortisol levels change the salt balance in your body and cause water retention.
Sleep revitalizes eyes, but even if you can’t get more, reduce bags by sleeping on two pillows or with your pillow angled up slightly to help keep your head elevated.
“When you lie flat, fluid can gather around your eyes,” which exacerbates puffiness, says Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., a dermatologist in Washington, DC.
THE IDEAL BEDROOM• Temperature: Set your thermostat between 60°F and 67°F.
• Sound: Your bedroom should be at least as quiet as a library.
• Bedding: Most individuals prefer a medium-firm mattress, and bedding should allow you to sleep comfortably without sweating.
• Darkness: The room should be so dark that you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Can’t get to peak opacity? An eye mask should do the trick.
• Clock position: Face the clock away from you. Clock-watching makes us anxious and increases stress hormones, Dr. Mathew says.
With that, We all hope you have a wonderful week with this insightful conversation.. as always...
Be Kind, Do Fearless