Topic Tuesday // The Different Types of Rest We Need // Tues 30th August 2022, 7-8:30PM AEST

I feel like physical rest is a big work in progress in terms of working out how much feels sufficient for me, and how to make things like stretching somewhat habitual so that I do it regularly, or semi-regularly. I have managed regular walks though, on particular days, I go walking early.

Some of my go-to forms of physical rest are just laying around on the couch or in bed. When I can, I like when I can get outdoors and enjoy a sense of nature, too - e.g. if I can set up a picnic rug in a park, or even in my back yard in the sun to lie down

@Gwynn @Bill16 and any others following along

Mental rest involves having breaks from responsibilities, especially when we are feeling busy. It may also be needed when we just generally have a lot on our mind, or can’t stop thinking about something.

Is mental rest something you think you might need some more of?

Do you have any ideas on how you can give yourself some more of this?

I like to do something which makes me think, but not about stressful things or things I am worried about. Something that occupies my brain in a fun way, like creating something like art or knitting, or playing a computer game

I like to call the kind of thing that leads to a need for mental rest ‘busy brain’, and it’s something that happens quite a lot for me. Interrupting that ‘busy brain’ in order to cultivate mental rest is hard! I find externalising what’s happening inside my head, by doing something like writing it down can help. Then, taking something of a ‘brain break’ like a walk where I’m mindfully/ intentionally counting something (like the amount of dogs I see) or taking a few deep breaths.

Nice @Jazzycat!

And @TideisTurning I like the idea of counting dogs, or intentionally looking for things you know that will make you happy 😊

Some ways I like to get a bit of mental rest include taking a temporary pause on life admin/responsibilities where I can, and focusing on forms of self care that I need. Also taking breaks from social media, especially when the feeds are dealing with intense things like upsetting news

@Bill16 @Gwynn @Jazzycat

Social rest involves having breaks from socialising with others, or engaging more selectively with the people we’re with- e.g. engaging more with supportive and comfortable relationships and pulling back from any that might be causing strain.

Is this something you think you might need, at times? If so, what does that look like for you?

Absolutely @Jazzycat. That kind of low-stress brain engagement makes me think of something like Masked Singer on TV, which can be putting puzzle pieces together based on given clues to figure out the identity of someone well-known, but with absolutely no pressure!

In terms of social rest, I really like the idea of ‘selective engagement’, and I feel like it’s an important necessity for me at times. Especially because of how much of a natural giver I can be, I need to make sure I engage with others who also give back to me, as opposed to people who primarily ‘take’. For me, this can look like planning contact with one of those fellow/ reciprocal ‘givers’ in my life following engagement with someone who may be more of a taker, or otherwise limiting engagement with those ‘takers’ at certain times, such as when I’m feeling a little low.

I can recognise that I might need a social break if I feel overwhelmed at how busy I feel with plans, with not enough time for myself.

In such times it's helpful for me to put a pause on organising catch ups with people, or even responding to messages, in order to have that time to myself and recentre.

Or sometimes it's helpful for me to just engage in relationships that are comforting.