​Mind, Body and Spirit! What Area of Life Do You Need Rest?

Rest - What Area Of Life Do You Need Rest?

When we discuss sleep, everything is connected, and we must think Mind, Body and Spirit! What area of life do you need rest? Do you? Let’s get into this topic and see how we can help you with our ideas today.

When people think about rest, they often think about physical rest. Sleep usually comes to mind or, the very least, lying on the couch scrolling through social media. Physical rest is very important but there are three main areas that people need rest:

1.Mind
2.Body
3.Spirit

The mind, body, and spirit are all connected, and one being fatigued can easily influence the other. Have you ever noticed how anxiety can cause stomach pain? Have you ever been so grieved by a personal loss or failure that you fall into a depression? These are prime examples of the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit to fatigue.

If left unchecked, weariness in the mind and spirit can erupt into physical illnesses or injuries or chronic… and even terminal diseases. This means rest can be as vital as the foods you eat, the exercise you engage in, and the mental health tactics you use to keep healthy. I listened to Robb Wolfe, author of The Paleo Solution and he felt that if people just got more sleep many illnesses would just disappear. This is how vital sleep is to our wellbeing. 

Let’s explore the mind, body, and spirit and see which area you may need quality rest.

The Mind - A worried mind can trigger a lot of issues. Sometimes the mind can be fatigued for so long it’s hard to know there’s anything wrong.

Consider these questions to see how tired your mind might be.

• Q? Do you suffer from insomnia, waking up during the night and inability to go back to sleep, or feeling exhausted after a night’s sleep?
• Q? Do you find yourself worrying when your mind is idle? Examples could be… going to sleep, driving in the car alone, in the shower.
• Q? Do you feel like you are in a fog and can’t manage stress or overwhelm as easily as you once could?
• Q? Do you sense that you are at odds with others more easily? Your patience and your grace are wearing thinner?
• Q? Do you resent helping others even though you know you shouldn’t?
• Q? Do you suffer from analysis paralysis and stop short of making decisions due to over thinking?
• Q? Have you become more anxious than you generally are?

If you are answering yes to more than a couple of these questions, your mind may be exhausted and need a rest.

The Body - Our bodies are meant to work hard. Our muscles can feel pain from an honest day’s work or a great workout. That sort of pain builds resistance and promotes strength. These are very good things. Sometimes our bodies are sore in a different way. They are depleted, exhausted, and just plain tired.

Consider these questions and see how tired your physical body might be.  

• Q? At the end of the day do you need to soak in a tub to relax your aches and pains?
• Q? Do you take pain medication - prescribed or over the counter - to get through the day?
• Q? Do you suffer from conditions like heartburn, bloating, food-related headaches?
• Q? Does it take longer for you to recover from illnesses than it used to?  
• Q? Do you find yourself plagued with recurring illnesses like colds and infections?
• Q? Have you begun to experience allergies that seem out of the blue?
• Q Do you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?
• Q? Has an injury morphed into a chronic experience that seems to never go away?

Answering yes to even one of these questions indicates that your body is tired and needs rest. This may not be a surprise to you as we are typically most self-aware of physical fatigue. Making rest a priority for your body may be the cure.

The Spirit - Our spirits are the part of us that is connected to something bigger than self. Whether you are a believer in a higher power, God, the Universe, or something else, the fact is we are all more than just flesh and bones. Our minds and our bodies have a connection to something outside ourselves that can get weary in times of extreme crisis or unexpected loss. A weary spirit is hard on every aspect of life because it is the sort of weariness that goes very deep and requires more than a nap and a meal to restore.

Take a look at these questions and see if your spirit is in need of rest.

• Q? Are you living in the wake of a traumatic experience that you don’t have the time or tools to deal with?
• Q? Are you suffering grief that others can’t understand and feel as though you must put on a brave face?
• Q? Do you question your purpose, value, or worth?
• Q? Do you sense that there’s more to life and you may be missing out some how?
• Q? Does your internal world reflect in your outer self-expression? Are you authentic in your life both inside and out?
• Q? Are you in a crisis of faith? Have you found yourself questioning your values, beliefs, or religion?
• Q? Is your marriage a challenge at the moment? Are you struggling with feeling connected to your spouse?
• Q? Is parenting a challenge at the moment? Are you experiencing difficulty connecting with your kids?
• Q? Does your career feel stalled? Do you crave change but feel trapped in your job or career?

​Answering yes to any of these questions might mean your spirit is weary and needs rest. Being open to the possibility your spirit is tired and needs to refresh is the first step to alleviating problems you thought might have been too big to solve.
 
Experiencing the benefits of rest is life changing. Being able to get through the day with plenty of energy or sleep through the night without worry is a wonderful thing. Committing to taking actions that promote restfulness will help you stay on track for your best life.

Share any thoughts in the comments below.

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