Self-Care Challenge- Day 1: Rest

Rest is a vital part of life. In the western world, we’re still stuck in that hustle mentality that celebrates the grind and criticizes anyone who wants to take a break. But, if all you do is work without rest, you will literally run yourself into the ground. Ask me how I know…

The easiest way for me to explain this is using exercise as an example. People workout for various reasons. One of them may be to increase muscle mass (aka “gainz”). Some people might think that you need to workout every single day in order to see growth. But working out everyday can actually inhibit muscle growth.

When you work out, the resistance of the weight or action creates microtears in our skeletal muscles. When the body is at rest, muscle fibers are rebuilt and made stronger in an attempt to meet the stress of whatever activity you just performed.

If we’re constantly working out and taxing our muscle fibers, they do not have time to repair themselves. You not only lose out on potential gainz but also put yourself at risk for injury.

The same concept applies to most things in life. If we keep pushing ourselves without rest, we run the risk of injury or illness. And this can be either physically, emotionally, or mentally. It can be all three- it’s called burnout.

Here are 3 things you can do today to get some rest:

Take a bath: not only does a bath force you to slow down, but a warm bath can also soothe your muscles
Watch your favorite show: spending some time watching TV can give your mind a rest. This might not be as effective if you spend all day looking at screens
Have a picnic: Sometimes, simply clocking out to eat your lunch is not enough. Take your lunch break outside. Getting away from the office or workplace, even just for a moment, can help you reset yourself

Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for your body, mind, and spirit. Just like muscles need time to recover and grow stronger, we need time to recharge in order to show up as our best selves. Without rest, we risk burnout, injury, or illness—physically, emotionally, and mentally. So, however you choose to take a break, make rest a non-negotiable part of your day. After all, rest is the key to sustaining your strength, both in life and in the gym.

_{((Cover photo: Photo by Lauren Kay on Unsplash))}