We need rest. Duh. Rest is more than just sleep. Your body needs to rest in many different ways. Prioritizing rest will improve your overall well-being.

1. Sleep. Of course sleep is a priority. All of your bodies’ systems require good sleep to function adequately. Lack of sleep can have negative impact on your cognitive ability – think focus and comprehension. It can raise your heart rate and further decline your energy levels throughout the day. Sleep deprivation has even been shown to negatively impact your decision-making around healthy food choices. If you’re tired, you’re more likely to be susceptible to that donut in the breakroom rather than sticking with the oatmeal packet in your drawer. Prioritize sleep and you are less likely to be anxious and more likely to be able to tackle daily challenges with sufficient reserves.
2. Rest your brain. I read stupid books. Sometimes I don’t even read them and only listen to them as an audiobook. I watch vapid television and movies. Give me a good binge session of Love At First Sight or the 437th bounty hunter book from Janet Evanovich and I’m a happy camper. I spend my days reading complex legal arguments, navigating tense conversations and emotional hardship. There are big feelings and heavy lifting on the part of my brain during the day. I keep my entertainment as light as possible. My brain gets to turn off and disappear for awhile. I started this in law school. For years I read legal textbooks and Nora Roberts romance novels and nothing else. Your brain needs a break. Give yourself permission to zone out for awhile.
3. Take a Time Out. It is okay to acknowledge you don’t have the energy, stamina, emotional wherewithal, spoons, whatever you call it to deal with a certain situation or relationship in the moment. In fact is is smart to recognize that you’re not in the right headspace to handle something well and to withdraw from it for a short period. Give yourself a break, give yourself a snack, take a deep breath, take a nap, go find some trees to hug, whatever you need to restore yourself. Know yourself well enough to recognize when you’re reaching your limit. Advocate for yourself so that you can take a restorative break before you actually hit that limit.
4. You Cannot Replace a Therapist (unless you are in fact a therapist). If you are like me, you’re the support person for a lot of friends and family. When people are going through it, they call you. I’m the cheerleader. I let people rant, I tell them “I’m sorry, that sucks” and we commiserate. That is friendship. That is support. That cannot be the entirety of your relationship. Throughout my twenties I wound up with numerous friendships that were based on people going through a tough time and needing support. I made myself available for walks and hikes and late night phone calls and girls nights out to help friends through tough times. But a few of those friendships I had to let go because they were bigger than me. Their problems were more than I could help with and their struggles were consuming my life. We have to recognize those relationships and help them transition into real help. It took me way too long to realize that I cannot let my friends’ struggles take over my life. I can’t put my things aside to support them. Protecting myself from that scenario made my life much calmer and gave me back a lot of peace that I had lost. Help your friends, but also help them realize when they need professional help and ensure you’re caring for yourself at the same time.
5. Let Things Go. You don’t have to have the last word. You don’t have to prove you’re right. Who cares? If this is not a person that you respect and whose respect you care to earn, what do you care what they think or feel about you? Why are you trying to win an argument? Who cares? You know you’re right. The people that matter know you and know where you stand. You do not need to engage with every troll and keyboard warrior and uninformed rando you interact with in this world. Life is too short. Move on and find your peace.
6. Be Less Informed. This was a big challenge for me. I pride myself on knowing what’s happening in the world and keeping up to speed on new developments nation and world-wide. And you know what? It spikes my anxiety to high heaven. Headlines are the worst things on the planet at this point. So I’ve opted out. I don’t scroll through news apps or google news. I read my local newspapers. I scan the reddit news front page. I read non-US news sources to get more balanced news. I still know what’s going on. I still understand the developments that matter. I am not inundated with terrible headlines, constant toxic political mudslinging, or end-of-days news cycles. It has made a huge difference in my energy availability and resiliency.
7. Rest Your Body. It is ok to have a day of rest. It is completely acceptable to not accomplish a thing. Sit and binge watch a stupid show for a few hours. Relax on your deck and read a book. Order dinner in instead of making it. Just sit and stop. Every exercise training plan worth its salt incorporates rest days. People that study optimized performance recognize that our bodies need down time to recover and help us perform at the highest levels. This is true on even the smallest of levels. Listen to your body. Rest when you are tired. Push when you have the energy. Sit. Stop. Rest. Recover

Be mindful of the ways you deplete your energy. Don’t give it away unintentionally. Protect yourself and your peace.

Let yourself rest.