Incorporating rest into our busyness

When money is tight and the world screams for your attention, and busyness and responsibility get in the way of self-care, you may ask yourself: Why would I invest in myself and my mental health?

This article explores the reasons why investment in yourself and your mental health is important and ways to do this.

Why invest in yourself

We live in a very busy world where many things scream for our attention. We are often praised for how busy we are or how much work we do rather than how much rest we take.

If you don't believe this, feel free to check for yourself. When was the last time you heard anyone say, “Oh, I had such a good rest this week, I rested for a full five hours”? Not very often. And why? Because we don’t value rest as much as we value busyness.

Feel free to test yourself again, think back over your conversations in the last week or so. How often have you heard “I've been so busy I haven't slept properly for weeks” or something similar? 

Our brain develops a pattern that says when we are busy, we are productive, and therefore every time we rest, our brain tells us, “I must not rest, I’m being lazy, this is not productive”. This leads us into an unhealthy cycle of overworking just to prove to ourselves and others that we aren't lazy and to develop a sense of self-worth, which is unhealthy. 

So what happens if we decide to change this and develop a sense that, despite the intense messages we receive from the world around us, rest and investment in your mental well-being is valuable? The truth is, we will probably struggle at first, but when we begin to mentally note how exhausted our body and brain feel, we can begin to incorporate rest and well-being into our daily routine. The brain will then slowly begin to realise that rest can also be awarded alongside busyness. 

Top tips for incorporating rest into our routine 

Recognise your own exhaustion and triggers

Take some time to recognise when you are feeling really drained and tired. For example, Sophie noticed she felt very tired after cooking tea, so after washing up, she set a timer and spent twenty minutes reading her book before finishing her to-do list.

When we look at Sophie, we can see that she noticed when she felt tired and rather than saying I’ll do everything on my list she prioritised a short amount of time doing something that revived her. This made her feel good about herself, and she experienced fewer negative thoughts and achieved more.

Give yourself small tasks which incorporate rest and focus on mental health

Set yourself small achievable goals that incorporate rest and wellbeing into your day. It may help to write down the things that you already do, such as scrolling through your phone and see if you can make them more mindful.

For example, Rakesh noticed that he spent a lot of time scrolling through his phone and often felt guilty about this, as it was not productive. This left him with lots of negative thoughts and affected his mental health. Rakesh decided that he would notice how much he was scrolling aimlessly and would stop himself and use his time to do something he enjoyed, like looking at new recipes he could cook. Rakesh really enjoyed trying out the new recipes and felt revived when cooking. This shows how being productive can be enjoyable and mindful when we schedule time for it and notice our own thought patterns. 

Think of rest as non-negotiable

When we begin to think of rest as non-negotiable, we develop a mindset that says this is something I must do, rather than this is something I will do if I have time. When rest becomes non-negotiable, it becomes part of our daily routine, and this sense of normality helps us value rest and view it as an achievement.

Talk to a professional

Talking to a counsellor can help you recognise where you need rest and to develop strategies that actively help you support it, such as learning to say no, challenging those intrusive thoughts which say you should be busy all the time and building on things you enjoy to incorporate into your daily routine.

Remember, rest is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. By prioritising rest, you can improve your physical and mental health and increase productivity, enhancing your overall wellbeing.