Rest Days And Why We Need Them

Written By Colēgia

While being productive is a good thing since it helps us get things done, we need to temper that with rest as well. The mind needs time to relax and it's during this downtime that some of our greatest ideas can come to us. Even on days when we might feel the need to do things, there's a lot of merit to simply slowing down and doing less. Today we want to talk about why we need rest days.

They Prevent Burnout

Burnout can happen to anyone and can be caused by many things. It can be the result of simply pushing ourselves too much or it can simply be because we feel like we're giving too much of ourselves away. Recognizing whether burnout is because of school, work, our habits, or simply not taking enough time for self-care is important. One thing we can do on a rest day is take some quiet time to reflect and see how we're feeling. If we're stressed, it could be a sign that we need to take a break from things or do them at a pace that works better for us. Slowing down instead of rushing can help since we can still accomplish a lot and in some cases with better quality when we're not so focused on doing a lot.

“Recognizing whether burnout is because of school, work, our habits, or simply not taking enough time for self-care is important.”

Rest Is Productive

It might seem counter-intuitive but rest IS productive. The reason behind this is that it allows us time to distance ourselves from any conflict or problem we're trying to solve and look at it from a more zoomed-out perspective. We need to do this since chances are that our thoughts are different when we're doing something in the moment and that can cloud our judgment at times. It's a lot easier to make decisions when we're well-rested and a day off can be just what we need to get ourselves back in a peaceful state of mind. Being considerate of how we feel is just as important as getting things done since we want to make sure that our efforts are sustainable.

“It's a lot easier to make decisions when we're well-rested and a day off can be just what we need to get ourselves back in a peaceful state of mind.”

Prioritizing Fun

There's a surprising amount of things we can learn when we're having fun. A good rest day gives us enough time to prioritize the things we want to do while also having fun in the process. A great example of this is spending time learning an instrument. The process itself is intrinsically motivating while also giving us tangible results after each session. The same can be said while doing exercise as well. Going for a run or lifting weights can be fun for us and also give a sense of accomplishment. While achieving our goals is worth doing we still need to have fun along the way because life is ultimately meant to be enjoyed. For many students finishing higher education is one of their major goals and there's a lot to learn when we take the time to rest.

Colēgia

Colēgia

Previous

The Value of Social-Emotional Learning
Next

Introspection And Metacognition