A note from Sean
When we say rest, we often mean resting the body, or resting from doing. I’d add resting the inputs: screens, TV, phone, movies, sometimes even books. It helps to ask what is truly restful for the mind, not just the body, and whether what we’re doing is resting it or filling it with more.
Try this today. Pick one hour today and unplug, as item 6 suggests. Put the phone in another room. Sit or lie down with your body supported and do nothing on purpose. Feel your weight held by the chair or the floor. When the urge to check something comes, notice it, then come back to your weight. Afterward, write one line: did that feel like rest? (questions 13 to 16)
Keep going: 7 Mindfulness Exercises for Relaxation and How to Practice Mindfulness in Nature.
This suits anyone who feels run down or finds it hard to stop doing. If rest brings up guilt, or you are exhausted in a way rest doesn’t touch, go gently. Stop when you need to.
