Three Uncommon Ways To Rest
We need rest, relaxation, and recovery. With the demands of the world crashing down upon us daily, we must make time to rest and recover, and specifically in regards to the brain. The recent rise in mental health challenges across the nation should give us pause; we are overloading ourselves, and many of us do not take the time to decompress, process, rest, relax and recover. The challenge is higher still for the digital crowd, as many find themselves tied to their devices, unable to peel away, the brain never allowed the chance to experience the much-needed solitude it so desires. When one considers that many young people today cannot remember a time without devices, and never experienced such a time, it is not surprising so many of us seldom benefit from the rejuvenating effects of authentic rest. (As it were, I remember the days without phones fondly, and whenever possible, I turn back the clock and return to those times)
In today’s article I offer a bit of hope, and while not a complete and total solution to our societal woes, when implemented regularly, authentic rest does wonders for the mind, body, and soul. The key is that we must be intentional about genuine rest, for unless we take the time and space, rest will not happen on its own. We must plan and implement rest as we would any other activity of high importance - rest cannot be left to chance.
While these are uncommon ways to rest, they are uncommon only in their context of modern-day America. There was a time, not long ago, when these activities were, in fact, universal, and a large swath of society engaged in such events regularly. We would be wise to remember those times. Uncommon today...but we should strive to make them commonplace in our lives once more.
1. Hike Without a Phone
We often think of rest as an immobile activity; thus, a hike may seem an odd way to rest. I believe the best rest is active in nature. In athletic circles, for example, we know that active recovery is better than passive, and we know in the cognitive realm that the brain craves movement. Rest for the mind need not mean inactivity, just different. A strenuous hike can indeed be restful if one leaves the worries of the phone and the job behind.
Hiking is a favorite of mine, and one of my most productive forms of rest. Uncommon as it seems, a good hike without my phone is some of the best rest and recovery I experience. A year ago, I had the good fortune of finding a foreclosed property of many acres on the side of a mountain here in southwestern Virginia, and with some 400 feet of elevation change, provides for ample hiking opportunities. Just this morning, before sunrise, I went for a brisk 30-minute walk, with 100 feet of elevation change and an average heart rate of 100. While certainly not passive rest, I felt better from a cognitive/stress/well-being standpoint post “hike” than from any couch sitting session (of which there are extremely few) in recent memory.
Get outside. Hike. Leave the phone behind. Your brain, body, and soul will thank you.
2. Read a Hardcover Book
Yes, it is nice to have a digital library and the opportunity to take all of your books with you on the go. I am an Audible subscriber and have, admittedly, far too many audiobooks. I understand. We can read via iPad, Kindle, iPhone, laptop, etc.. Whether screen or audio, it is nice to have access to your library at any given time. But I also keep up with my physical library, and you should too. And whenever possible, hardcover only. I make time to read from hardcover books, free from screens, and these are some of the most restful and productive times of my day.
Our brains need rest from the connectivity. Our eyes, from the screen. Reading in airplane mode is a step in the right direction, sure, but far inferior to no screen whatsoever. The science points to screens affecting us regardless of the connection - I don’t need the science to believe it.
There are few greater pleasures in life than the reading of an excellent hard-cover book, preferably out of sight and far away from the phone. Perhaps you take the book on the aforementioned hike or find a spot outdoors to sit and ponder the contents therein. Reading a real hardcover book, while uncommon in today’s world of tech and screens, provides an opportunity for the brain to rest, and again, rest need not be inactivity, just different.
Leave the screen behind. Read a real book. Why hardcover? I am a proud book snob, and as any book snob knows, real books have a dust jacket and a hardcover. Perhaps they need not the jacket, as it is a modern invention...but hardcover, most certainly. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to see an 800-year-old book in person, you know. Hardcover, always, if possible.
3. Do Something, Anything Physically or Cognitively Active Without a Screen or Connectivity Device of Some Sort Within Sight
As you may have guessed, the theme of this article is not so much what to do...it is what not to do, and that is to always be near a screen or connectivity device of some sort. Uncommon, certainly. While ridiculous on the surface, yes, and meant to provide a bit of humor, my third piece of advice also begs the following and indeed more pressing question: Is there a time (possibly sleep?) where we are 1. not near our screens and 2. actively engaging the brain and/or body?
Do we have such time built into our days? From sunrise to sunset, the screen follows us, and we go so far as to have panic attacks without our precious devices. In what activities do we engage without the screen in close proximity? Can we name them?
In Closing
I admit, I am as guilty as anyone in regards to the tech craze. I had the iPhone XS Max and didn’t need the 11 Pro Max...I now have the Pro anyway. In fact, I now have both. If something were to happen to the Pro, I could fall back on the Xs. The spare tire is in the trunk, as it were, and yes, it is XSessive. I sport the Apple Watch, iPad Pro, etc. and so on and so forth...I am as wired and wireless as they come.
Where I differ and where I urge you to do the same is to be intentional about time away from the screen. I unplug. I disconnect. I do it often, and I do not apologize for doing so. And I hear the pushback. You will hear it too. Pay the naysayers no mind. Out of touch? So be it. Off the grid? Thank goodness. Unavailable for comment? The seekers of said comments will survive. I’m not that important that I need to be available 24/7. Neither are you. Such a belief is not self-loathing, no, just the opposite, it is freeing.
Do something, anything, for an extended period of time without a screen close by. Give your brain the time and space it needs and deserves to decompress, sort, and make sense of the stuff of life. These crucial moments of solitude our parents, grandparents, and all those who came before us knew is quickly disappearing, and the decline of our collective mental health is the result. I don’t blame technology for our anxiety, stress, and mental health challenges, no, for the tool itself is not to blame. But the improper use of such gadgets by a mostly unintentional and complicit population? I believe it plays a role, indeed. That is not to say that tech addiction and our always-on, constantly connected world is the sole reason for our mental health challenges...but even the biggest skeptics must admit it plays a role in some way, shape, or form.
Disconnect. Leave the screen behind. It is OK to be selfish and have me time, far from the interruptions of the day. Your brain will thank you, your body will thank you, and your mental health will improve. Rest, and do so actively. Be intentional about such rest periods and schedule them as though the most important part of your day. Your overall quality of life will thank you!
