True Rest is Essential to Holistic Health
I had grand plans of sharing so much encouragement this month for mental health awareness. I had notes I had scribbled, compiled and was organizing. Posts and videos I was preparing. And such good truths to share to hopefully encourage you in your health journey how REST is a vital part of holistic health.
But - then I didn't end up following through with any of it. I have stacks of ideas just sitting on my desk waiting to be used. But I just couldn't do what I had wanted and set out to do.
Want to know why?
It was too much. It felt too hard. It didn't feel worth it to expend so much energy to become even more tired and burnt out than I already feel. We have been through multiple heart-wrenching years of difficulty and I needed to address my weariness and I needed to rest.
Do you feel like that sometimes?
Set out a really good plan to do something you know can be so good and fruitful but then when it comes time to follow through - you just don't?
You may even gaslight and guilt-trip yourself by shaming yourself, calling it laziness, failure or a lack of discipline. But is that what's really going on?
Or is it that underneath all of it - you really need rest? You're trying to do too much for the season or place that you're at and your plans ARE too much?
If you have ever felt this, I want to encourage you...
In order for your health to thrive holistically, you need rest just as much as you need movement and nourishment.
You DO need to give attention to difficulty and stress. You SHOULD address your weariness with rest. This is healthy and GOOD.
But the kicker is that you need TRUE rest. Not just time that is void of action.
You need true physical rest. And true mental, emotional and spiritual rest.
Rest can be productive...when it is TRUE rest.
So what is true rest?
Please don't consider these kinds of things "rest":
- scrolling through your phone because you don't feel like doing whatever you had planned
- watching television or movies or videos
- "researching" on the internet
These types of activities, though not terrible, are only giving your brain and body MORE input and work. And what you need is LESS input and less work to truly rest. Engaging in these types of things is what I like to call "faux rest" because it gives us the sense that we are "being productive" with our "rest". But in reality - these things are only giving our brains and bodies even MORE reason for true rest.
Think about the rest notes in music. Rest notes are VITAL for your brain to not be overwhelmed with input! Rest notes are essential to helping make the music beautiful! The beauty comes from the BALANCE of the rest notes and the music notes.
Finding this necessary balance between work and rest is what gives you LIFE as well as the ability to flourish in the work you do.
So what should rest look like?
Let's talk about physical rest first...here are some of my favorite ways to rest and recover physically...
- deep breathing
- sleep
- foam rolling
- therapy ball
- lymph drainage massage
- sauna
- red light therapy
- castor packs
- dry brushing
- gua sha
- acupressure mat
- myofascial release therapy
- grounding
- epsom salt baths
- rebounding (light and gentle)
- sunshine
- slow walks, especially outside
- stretching & mobility
- restorative movement
And here are some of my favorite ways that I would encourage you to rest mentally, emotionally and spiritually...
- deep breathing
- sleep
- solitude & prayer
- reading Scripture
- being a part of a church community
- retreats/time away
- counseling/therapy
- spending time with people you love and who love you
- sunshine
- slow walks, especially outside
- stretching & mobility
- restorative movement
Honestly - these two facets of rest are so closely connected it's hard for me to even differentiate them sometimes. Because like I always say -
"Your life affects your health & your health affects your life."
You were made a WHOLE person - body, mind & soul. You cannot separate these aspects of how you were made. The ways that you care for your body also care for your soul. And the ways you care for your soul also care for your physical health.
And this is exactly why I created Somatic Soul Care. My heart-centered, holistic nervous system health program to offer TRUE rest for your body, mind & soul.
Some might call it nervous system regulation.
Some might call it limbic system retraining.
I call it Somatic Soul Care. Because it addresses the connection between your heart and soul's needs through gentle movement and releases. And my hope for you in SSC is not regulation but RESILIENCE. To help strengthen your body, mind and soul to move *through* stress, overwhelm, difficult emotions and trauma rather than get stuck in it.
Since I started incorporating SSC into my personal daily breaks and own quiet time in the morning - I have felt an immense difference in my ability to handle difficulty and stress. I have seen a HUGE difference in how rested I feel. Because SSC covers both physical and mental/emotional rest... it has been a simple and easy way to ensure I am taking care of my WHOLE self (not just my physical health though movement and nourishment) and finding TRUE rest.
Rather than feeling like I am constantly drowning in difficulty, stress, tension or difficult emotions - I have the tools and understanding to be able to steward my mental health well.
And I have even seen a difference in my physical health simply because of how well SSC addresses my nervous system and mental health!
I can't promise to take away stress or difficulty - but I can promise you will be more equipped, become emotionally & mentally stronger and not get stuck.
And psssstttt... my favorite part of SSC might be the Workbook that comes along with the program. I love being able to process through difficult things from a Biblical perspective without being overwhelmed or obsessive. I love that the workbook helps me to notice exactly what my body is telling me and needs to be able to target how to best care for myself through the various exercises (not workout type exercises but exercises like deep breathing, breath prayers, restorative releases, and movement that addresses the specific tension points and effects of stress in my body). I think you'll love it too!
Please, please read more about this essential, holistic and faith-based program HERE. I tried to make it a very accessible, low-cost, one-time investment with lifetime access that allows you to have the tools you need right in your pocket whenever you need them!
I would be honored if you allowed me to help you find true rest for your body, mind and soul.
You need it.
**I still plan to share the encouragement about mental health that I have been planning...just more slowly at a pace that is balanced and more do-able. So jump on my email list or follow me on social media if you haven't yet!**
