Give it a Rest – Tips to Taking a Break

Most of us understand the importance of rest. We know that we should aim for greater balance throughout our lives, take holidays and ensure that we have sufficient downtime. But for a lot of us, that is far easier said than done. To illustrate my point, I am currently on holiday and writing this article. So, as I sit here, mentally abusing myself for continuing to work on my holiday, I felt it was a great time to reflect on the importance of rest, and hence, why I will be shutting down my computer shortly after I have written this.

Rest can take so many different forms and in today's world is increasingly found in shorter and shorter spurts. There are lots of reasons that we fail to rest ranging from boredom through to over-committing ourselves. But, the fundamental point is that everyone needs a break at times to recharge their batteries. So, here are my tips for ensuring that you get a rest when you need it.

1. Schedule your rest time

We have all been doing this for years by scheduling holidays at work or school so this is not exactly an earth shattering tip. My suggestion would be to apply the same mindset as you do with holidays to your week. Rather than filling every moment with work, socializing or sleep, try scheduling some downtime. This allows you to be spontaneous with some small part of your time, therefore providing a break from your routine. This is time where you are not obliged to do anything at all. So, if you want to use it to take a nap, exercise, read a book, stare at the walls or create your own adventure, then you can. The choice is entirely up to you based on what you want in that moment and hence, making your needs a priority.

2. Take what you can get

It can be easy to assume that our rest time needs to be long and lazy. The reality is that short breaks on a regular basis are considered equally important than that long luxurious holiday that many of us fantasize about. So, if you are inherently busy with work, family, friends or anything else for that matter, then take what you can get. It is really easy to give up on the small periods of rest, as we assume it serves no real benefit to us. When you have a lot on the go, it is really easy to just keep charging forward and dismiss the benefit that even a thirty minute break can offer. So, when you see the opportunity, take it. Have a lunch break, read the paper, stop for a coffee or just sit on the couch for a minute when you get the chance. You will feel a million times better for it.

3. Ensure it is something you want to do

This is a tricky one. There are times when we all commit to a rest but it is not actually something we want to do. This does not typically fit the definition of rest. In order to rest, you generally need to be content that you have chosen something that works for you. If you are just doing it to make someone else happy, you normally do not set out in the right frame of mind and over time that can lead to resentment. You need to have a say in how and when you rest. We all need to compromise at times but there is a point at which this is no longer healthy.

4. Treat it with the same importance as any other commitment in your life

This means that you do not reschedule unless something absolutely earth shattering has happened. At a point in time, I was over-committed and had my priorities completely distorted, such that that every time I scheduled a holiday I would invariably cancel or postpone it due to some deadline or another. After continually pushing my holiday back and working almost every day of the week, it suddenly dawned on me that I had not taken a break for 18 months. I was completely exhausted and had lost my natural stamina. It was a very unhealthy state and it was entirely my fault for not rating my holidays at the same level importance as work and personal commitments.

So, there are my tips for ensuring you get a rest on a regular basis. And, for those of you that think I am insane for working on my holiday, it is probably worth mentioning that I actually love my work and I do it because it provides me with an outlet or rest. I will now continue with the other 23 hours of my day outside of writing this article which will involve a run, trip to the beach, reading books and listening to music. I hope you enjoy your rest as much as I do mine – whatever it may be!