What’s the deal with sleep? With all I have to get done today, I need more hours to do it all. I’ll sleep less. Sound familiar? Well, there is stress in feeling there’s so much to get done. Fact is, we never get it all done. Creating more stress anywhere in our lives impacts everything in our lives.
Enjoying rest includes the one-third of our lives that we sleep, plus frequent moments in our days when we take a few deep breaths and relax. I call it whispering yes to resting peacefully. In bed or traffic. And though learning to relax calmly takes practice, the benefits last a healthful lifetime!
Like nourishing simply and moving enjoyably, rest is a crucial component to optimal health. Our bodies recuperate during sleep, and mindful rests throughout our days help release stress. Your new you image should include a calm and relaxed you. This helps with happiness, too.
Sleep habits change…no news there. Growing up, sleeping well was rarely an issue. The active movement we enjoyed as kids made solid sleep easy. High school and college into early adulthood, I felt I could function well on 5 hours of sleep. Enjoying late nights with friends, or cramming for exams was normal and seemed commonplace.
I know the practice is even more prevalent today. Research shares how important adequate sleep is for all, but especially the youth who seem to get less than I did their age. Then with full-time employment and raising a family, I continued functioning without good sleep habits. Going to bed when I felt tired rewarded me with less sleep, and waking up tired. Yikes!
Why is Rest Important?
Maybe you can relate. As I continued to neglect sleep during my 20s and 30s, my body’s physiology got short-changed. I got fat, sluggish, moody (more booze, please), brain foggy, and that’s just what I knew. I wasn’t aware that I was compromising my immune system, weakening my cells’ ability to repair themselves, and opened myself up to disease (dis-ease). Not a pretty picture.
Today, there is more known about the value of good rest than ever before. Thankfully, I’ve discovered this. Today I whisper yes to rest. You can whisper yes to rest peacefully too!
