Rest is sacred for everyone, for those who use it without problems and for those who can never afford it, because we all need to rest. This is one of the fundamental needs of our organism. Unfortunately, however, many people often feel exhausted and too tired from work. There are ways to make rest more effective, but keep in mind that resting isn't just about sleeping. Remember, both the body and the mind get tired.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Rest the Body
Step 1. Exercise
This advice may seem contradictory to you, but it has been proven that training not only makes rest more satisfying, but also more effective. Studies show that exercise improves sleep quality and mental health. In addition, after struggling, it will be easier to rest and you will find that you are less nervous when you try to relax. However, try not to work out in the six hours before bed, as this can cause you to sleep poorly.
Step 2. Avoid oversleeping
If you start putting off your alarm ten times, you can interfere with your internal clock and start feeling tired in the evening. Sleeping too much can ruin your sleep cycle as much as staying up at night, so try to stick to a schedule. It won't be easy, but you should try to always wake up at the same time even on weekends.
Step 3. Take a freezing bath
These remedies can do wonders for the body and make you feel regenerated. There is a reason why so many athletes enter ice-filled pools to recover faster after exertion. Just take a few bags to freeze, fill the tub halfway with cold water, pour in the ice, then jump in. If you are feeling very fatigued, this technique can help you, especially if you are using it as a preventative measure.
Step 4. Take a hot bath
If the ice bath is too extreme for you, even a hot one can help you relax in a different way. If you don't stay in hot water for too long, hot baths help relieve anxiety, improve skin health, and promote sleep. Going to bed immediately after a hot bath, the difference in temperature can cause an increase in melatonin production and help you sleep.
Step 5. Get a massage
Massages are ideal for relaxing the body and you will find that even a quick one hour massage can help tremendously. There are many different types of techniques, so do your research and find out which one you prefer. Swedish massages are gentler, deep ones are slower and more intense, while pressure point massages focus only on specific sections of the body, so as to release tension in the muscles.
Step 6. Try aromatherapy
The idea behind this therapy is that the essential oils found in plants can help heal and relax the body. The treatment involves inhaling the vapors of these essential oils and massaging with them. There are no studies that explain exactly how the therapy works, but it is believed that the scent of the oils can stimulate certain parts of the brain that contribute to relaxation. Many people have reported pain relief, improved mood and general feeling of relaxation following aromatherapy.
Method 2 of 3: Rest Your Mind
Step 1. Meditate
There are many types of meditation, so it is important to find the one that suits you best. This activity has been shown to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and offer many other benefits. If you are looking for a way to relax without sleep, meditation is a conscious and satisfying means of achieving that goal. Instead of rolling around in bed trying to rest, meditation can actively improve the quality of your rest.
Step 2. Take incremental breaks at the microscopic and macroscopic level
Stop during the day before you start feeling too tired. If you keep going until you feel sick, it will be much harder to recover and feel rested. Learn to take daily, weekly, monthly and yearly breaks. We all need to recover and recharge. It may be enough to sit on a bench for a few minutes before returning to work, take one day off a week or take a relaxing vacation.
Step 3. Practice not thinking
We all have a strong habit of thinking discursively, or moving from one thought to the next. This can be exhausting and if you can manage not to think, you can give your mind some precious rest. Open your senses to what is happening around you and pay attention, but don't think about anything. Just live in the moment. When you find yourself picking up a line of thoughts, notice it and pay attention back to the current experience.
Step 4. Try to get enough sleep
Sleep is the only way to truly rest the mind. While meditation can help, sleep is absolutely necessary to feel refreshed. Don't sacrifice sleep for other activities, as they likely won't contribute to your well-being and happiness like healthy rest.
Step 5. Listen to instrumental music or ambient noises
Sounds like running water, singing birds, and even storm sounds can help you relax and relieve the stress of your thoughts. You can find playlists with similar songs on the internet. Other great options are songs with gongs, bells and instrumental ones in general. Our brain always seems to crave some form of sensory input and thanks to these sounds it can overshadow the most stressful thoughts that come to mind.
Method 3 of 3: Rest If You Can't Sleep
Step 1. Think about rest before and after the rest time
It is not easy to go directly from maximum speed to relaxation. You have to get there gradually and thinking about how you would like to relax can be an effective strategy. Think for a moment about when you will go to bed and how you will feel. You shouldn't wait to do it! This makes getting under the covers very rewarding and allows you to fall asleep much earlier.
Step 2. Avoid electronic devices when trying to rest, especially at night
Many emit a light that tricks the brain into thinking it's daytime, interfering with the sleep cycle and your ability to sleep. If you can't feel rested, these devices could be part of the problem. Use the laptop in the living room and do not take it into the bedroom, so as to separate the bed from the electronics. The same goes for the mobile.
Step 3. Change your routine before going to bed
Nighttime rituals can help, but the best way to fall asleep quickly and rest well is to follow a healthy schedule. Try to avoid eating right before bed and don't drink caffeinated drinks. Instead, try to plan your days so that you go to sleep at the same time every night, avoiding sugar and caffeine before that time.
Advice
- If you want to take a relaxing vacation, the best idea is often to stay at home. For many people, stress increases after traveling somewhere.
- It is very important to eat and drink at the right times, so keep an eye on the clock and do not eat meals before bedtime.
- Don't be obsessed with rest! If you think about it too much, you will increase the stress. Take things as they come.
- Make sure you are not exercising too much. Over-training leads you to fatigue and not relaxation. Suda, but without exaggerating.
