Since summer is half over, this is a great time to talk about rejuvenation. Rejuvenation means to make youthful again, or to put it another way, to restore your health and energy. This post is about taking time for rest and relaxation.
Our bodies were designed to take periods for rest. Just like our mobile phones, we are better if recharged at 50% than if we wait til we’re at 0%.
Daily
We must sleep on a daily basis. It’s how we are designed. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough sleep. Sleep is essential to the rejuvenation of our bodies and minds, and getting enough of it can make all the difference in our performance, mood and health. Not everyone needs 8 hours, but if you require a drill sergeant to get you up in the morning, you probably aren’t getting enough sleep.
An easy way to determine what is enough sleep for you is to pay attention to your body. It’s best if you aren’t exhausted to begin. On a weekend or, even better, on a vacation:
- Don’t set an alarm.
- Note when you go to sleep and when you awaken naturally.
- Make a note of how you feel (sometimes we oversleep and don’t feel great when we wake up).
- Note if you were exhausted when you went to bed or if you had been drinking.
From this you will probably get a good idea of what is a good amount of time for you to sleep.
LifeSkill Secret: What to do when you can’t get the full number of hours of sleep you need
I have discovered that my own sleep cycle is 45 minutes and 8 1/2 hours is perfect for me. If I cant get that much sleep, I must get up 45 minutes earlier or 1.5 hours earlier or 2 hours 15 minutes earlier (note 45 minute cycles down from 8 1/2 hours) or I wont function well.
If you find you awaken refreshed at different amounts of time, you can probably figure out your own cycles to feel most rested. Another way to figure this out is to pay attention for how long you fall back to sleep if you are awakened early in the morning. I realized it was always an hour and a half for me. Waking in the middle of a cycle will make you feel less rested, even if you have had enough sleep. I would rather have 6 hours 15 minutes sleep (waking between my sleep cycle) than eight hours (waking in the middle of one).
Weekly Rejuvenation
So even God rested on the 7th day. Regardless of your faith, getting away from your daily work, cares and issues is a really good idea. Whether you remove yourself from all forms of work, or only do enjoyable projects on you 7th say (Sabbath comes from the word for 7), take some time to shift gears in your focus and attention. You will be much more efficient and effective if you shift gears for one day a week than if you keep working through. Your brain is a better problem solver when shifted into neutral than when stressed.
Periodically
The purpose of a vacation is rejuvenation. Getting away for at very least a week from your regular work is far more restorative than just weekends, and longer is better. Most people find that it takes several days just to downshift out of their normal gear into a relaxed state of being, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to just relax then go back at it. It’s better to take enough time to stay in a relaxed state for a while before returning to work.
Leave a Reply