It’s no secret that rest is essential for our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
However, in today’s world, it is easy to find ourselves overwhelmed and overburdened. We are constantly being pulled in multiple directions and are expected to do more with less.
It is essential to recognize the importance of rest to ensure that we can manage your pain and achieve our goals without overflowing your “cup”. Rest is not only necessary for physical health but for emotional and mental health as well. Allowing ourselves the permission to say no and to prioritize rest is essential for healing our pain. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of rest and why it should be a priority in our lives.
Why Rest is Important
Having enough rest is crucial to getting a handle on our pain. Without enough sleep, both our physical and mental health suffer. We must also rest in order to recharge our batteries and regain the energy needed to tackle the day-to-day demands of life. By relaxing, we reduce stress levels and increase productivity. In addition, taking breaks and setting aside time for rest helps us to return to our work with renewed focus and efficiency. To maintain our well-being and lead fulfilling lives, we must learn to create more space. Moreover, rest allows our bodies to relax and repair themselves by lowering our heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Conversely, neglecting our stress may lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses caused by heightened stress. Creating space by saying no has so many benefits, so it’s time to say no to excess and prioritize rest.
The Negative Effects of Not Saying No
Having enough rest is crucial to getting a handle on our pain. Without enough sleep, both our physical and mental health suffer. 3 nights in a row with less than 6 hours of sleep increases our pain experience 25%!!! We must recharge our batteries and regain the physical and emotional energy needed to tackle the day-to-day demands of life, especially when we live with pain. By learning to say no, we reduce stress levels and increase space for other things that are important to use. Saying no also tends to be a main way to combat the famous Boom Bust cycle that “helps” drive our pain.
In addition, taking different types of breaks and setting aside time for specific activities like “Happy Bites”; helps us to return to our lives with renewed focus. Rest allows our bodies to relax and repair themselves by lowering our heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Slowing down, saying no, and doing less also helps us get out of the constant fight-or-flight state most of us are in. We must combat the stressors if we want to heal. How in the world are you going to calm a nervous system without it? In contrast, when we neglect rest, our bodies remain in a state of heightened stress, we stay super aware, we stay overstimulated, and therefore we remain in heightened levels of pain! Continuing to act as though our lives and capabilities have not changed keeps us in patterns that increase our pain.
Do you want your life back? You’ll need to make some drastic changes. It’s time we give ourselves permission to say no and stop feeling guilty about it.
How to Say No Gracefully
Learning how to say no can be a challenge for many of us. We are conditioned to be people pleasers and fear the negative consequences of turning down requests. However, setting boundaries and prioritizing our own well-being is crucial for living a healthy and balanced life.
Firstly, it’s important to understand what a boundary is. A boundary is a line that we draw around ourselves to protect our physical, emotional, and mental health. Saying no is an important way to communicate and uphold those boundaries. Without boundaries, we end up in situations that do not help us heal, read more about that here‘.
People-pleasing tendencies can make it difficult to say no, but it’s important to remember that it’s okay to prioritize our own needs. Here are ten ways to say no gracefully:
1. Thank you for thinking of me, but I won’t be able to do that.
2. I appreciate the opportunity, but I need to prioritize my own well-being right now.
3. I’m sorry, but I already have commitments that day/time.
4. I would love to help, but I don’t have the capacity right now.
5. I’m flattered, but it’s just not something I’m interested in.
6. I appreciate the offer, but I think it’s best for me to pass.
7. I don’t feel comfortable with that request, so I will have to decline.
8. I’m sorry, but I have to take care of something important during that time.
9. I’m honored, but unfortunately, I can’t commit to that right now.
10. No, I can’t do that.
It’s important to remember that saying no doesn’t have to be rude or confrontational. By using kind and honest communication, we can maintain positive relationships while still respecting our own boundaries and needs. There is nothing wrong with modifying a request either! For example, ” I’d love to hang out with you this weekend, why don’t you come here where I can manage my pain better so we can enjoy time together!”
Did you know there are 7 types of rest we need?
Rest is not just about sleeping. Being tired or fatigued isn’t always about sleep – in fact, it rarely is! Just like our pain, we need to look past the obvious thing our medical professionals keep focused on! There are many ways we can help you recharge, refuel, and lower the contents of our cup to improve our pain! Here are seven types of rest that you may need:
1. Physical Rest
This type of rest is the most obvious, and it refers to the time you spend sleeping, napping, or simply relaxing your body.
2. Mental Rest
This type of rest is about giving your mind a break. It includes things like meditation, mindfulness, and unplugging from technology. ( You know, like searching for answers to your pain!)
3. Emotional Rest
This type of rest is about taking care of your feelings. It includes things like talking to a trusted friend or therapist, journaling, or doing something you enjoy. ( No more stuffing feelings to make others comfortable – do you have any idea how much energy that takes?!)
4. Social Rest
This type of rest is about disconnecting from people or situations that drain you. It could be as simple as spending time alone or as drastic as ending a toxic relationship. ( Toxic relationships take up more space in your cup than you realize!)
5. Creative Rest
This type of rest is about nurturing your creative side. It could be something like painting, writing, or even just daydreaming.
6. Sensory Rest
This type of rest is about reducing the amount of sensory input you receive. It includes things like taking a break from screens or spending time in a quiet environment. ( I think this type of saying no is one of the most overlooked in helping ourselves with our pain.)
7. Spiritual Rest
This type of rest is about connecting with something bigger than yourself. It could be attending a religious service, spending time in nature, or simply taking a few moments to be grateful.
It’s important to remember that feeling tired or run down can be caused by more than just a lack of sleep. Incorporating these different types of rest into your routine can help you feel more balanced and energized.
We are trying to create space, room, and priority for things that really matter to us and get off the path of obligation, stress, and guilt. Those feelings rarely create safety. Just sayin’.
Practical Ways to Incorporate Rest Into Your Life
By now, we’ve established that rest is crucial to our overall well-being. But how can we practically incorporate rest into our lives? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Firstly, it’s important to say no to things that take up space in our lives but don’t contribute to our overall well-being. This creates space for the things that do. It’s easy to feel guilty when we say no, but remember that taking care of ourselves is a top priority.
To recover from chronic pain, we must create space to calm our nervous systems. This can be done through:
When it comes to physical rest, try:
1. Taking regular breaks from work or other tasks (pacing)
2. Prioritizing getting enough sleep
3. Practicing relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises.
For mental rejuvenation, consider:
1. Unplugging from social media or technology
2. Spending time in nature
3. Taking a day off from your normal routine or other responsibilities
When it comes to tending to your emotional being, focus on:
1. Connecting with loved ones
2. Spending time on a creative hobby
3. Talking to a therapist or counselor
Lastly, when it comes to sensory rest, try:
1. Wearing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones or put a night mask and lying in the dark
2. Taking a break from bright lights or screens
3. Creating a quiet and calming space in your home – it can be a corner of a room!
Conclusion
Remember, rest doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Small changes can make a big difference in our overall health and pain level. Give yourself permission to prioritize rest by saying no to things that do not serve you and find the methods that work best for you.
To heal our pain, we must prioritize our sanity, our inner well-being, our inner safety, and energy. By learning to say no so that we can prioritize our healing, we learn to empty our cups.
If you need help, click work with me . I had to learn all these things to get my life back. I can help you too.
