REST To Be Your Best
One of the most important things we as individuals overlook as a key to being at our 100% best is the need for the appropriate rest from all of the stress and strain we put our bodies through each and every single day. When talking to individuals and groups asking the question, “What do you need to do to be at your absolute best every day?” Rarely is “Rest” one of the ready responses.
You’ll hear things like, “You’ve got to eat right”. And while that could an appropriate answer, I’ll always push back and ask, “So what does eating right mean?” Not to be rude or sarcastic but to get folks to think more comprehensively about that response. What usually follows are examples of what that person considers as eating right. Things like, what you should eat – fruits and vegetables; when to eat – small meals and snacks several times a day; when not to eat – when bored or upset and especially not before going to bed; and finally how much you should be eating (usually from the perspective of portion size).
Other responses to the question include things like “the need to exercise regularly and drink plenty of water”. But it’s the very rare occurrence that someone says; you need to get the appropriate rest.
You know it’s really interesting that when you ask people about what they consider the most important and it usually doesn’t matter what the context of most important is, but the very things they consider as MOST IMPORTANT usually DON’T get their full attention and energy.
It is an amazing phenomenon; here’s an example to hopefully make this point.
In helping clients (usually in management) prioritize I’ll frequently ask; “What is the most important thing in you life?” Overwhelmingly, for most the response is family. And for lots of us that what be our exact answer, I can see your heads nodding affirmatively right now and you’re probably saying, yep that would be what I’d say. Because that is what we firmly believe and we are grounded in the fact that our family is THE most important thing, BAR NONE! With that in mind the next question I might ask is how long is your typical workday? I can usually expect an answer that is equal to or exceeds 11 hours, depending on the industry. At that point I sit quietly and let them do the math. Hopefully, you get the point. If family is THE most important thing to you but you spend 11 hours or more a day at work, FAMILY becomes a distant second on your priority list.
(I’ll devote more time and another blog to this subject in the coming weeks, so be looking out for that one. I think you may see some of your own behavior discussed in that one).
So, let’s get back to our current subject, one of the most important things YOU can do to be at your absolute best everyday is REST. Get the sleep your body needs to rejuvenate itself every night.
Elite athletes will be the first to tell you that because of the huge amount of energy they expend throughout every day that one of the things they do is get the amount of rest their bodies require every day. Not only at night but also during the day as well in the form of naps.
Now, you may not be able to take a couple of hours a day to take naps but you may be able to steal 15 to 30 minutes and that may be just good enough; especially once it becomes your habit and routine.
As you begin or continue developing a healthier lifestyle keep in mind, the amount of energy replenished must be in direct proportion to the amount of energy expended. And the best way to replenish energy is through sleep.
It may sound corny but you can take it to the bank. To be at your best you must – REST!
By: Bryan Rawlings
Chief Human Resources Strategist