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Rest is Vital as well as Re-vitalizing
If you are carrying too many bags at once, you may wisely put a couple down before you drop some. Consciousness does the same when there is too much strain of an overload of thoughts going on. Only one or two thoughts will be held, and the rest are dropped off. The reality of this is felt when you cannot remember where you just put your car keys when you realized you needed to bring your check book to pay an overdue bill, but you cannot remember where the bill is, and you get interrupted by a phone call from an annoying neighbor who now is complaining about your dog. The greater the strain, the less consciousness can keep all organized in short term memory.
The longer such stress goes on, the less short term memory functions, anxiety fills the “space,” and depression can begin taking hold.
When over-fatigued, you and your consciousness, the inner voices you hear will often be the volatile ones — irritation, annoyance, impatience, … you become irritable with yourself as well as with others. People negatively reacting to your irritability and losing your self-esteem to the self-negativity increases the chronic stress, and the negative effects this has on you. Areas of tension, physical/mental, increase. Avoidance, denial, and using various forms of escape and self-gratifications occur to the detriment of yourself. Most of all, all this can deprive you of motivation and opportunity to focus on your greater Self, and the release and perspective this can give to counter-act the daily strains.
Giving yourself creativity, exercise, and even service to that you love, offsets the spiral into chronic depression and anxiety. Overcoming the block from anxiety, depression, and the feeling of hopeless to make the effort is one key to developing healthy rest. Another is to recognize the difference between “escaping” and resting. Zoning out to TV is not rest. Drinking alcohol cannot replace rest, though ONE glass of wine or beer (never “hard” drinks) may help get you to relax enough to rest. Trolling the internet is not restful.
What is restful may be sitting and listening to relaxing music for you (be careful in your choices; and use discernment in the music that is advertised as relaxing!). Sitting and simply releasing thoughts in your mind through mindfulness and relaxing meditation can be restful. Working on a special craft/hobby projects for a short time to begin relaxing, and then sitting down and finding your mind less anxious, etc. can be restful. Doing some restorative to relax, and then sit or lay down to rest can be helpful. You may have your own ways to relax, (sex never should be used for anything but intimacy in a committed loving relationship), and then follow up with a rest time.
Sleep Is Crucial to Wellness
There is so much information about sleep, REM sleep, and sleep apnea, problems getting to sleep, problems staying asleep, and chronic sleep deprivation, that the best approach is to simply have you research each of these, looking up more information on those that are of particular interest. Use academic or medical websites. Too many websites have inaccurate information, or are attempting to sell something.
However, here is an amusing and compassionate presentation on sleep that provides some good information. Please click here
For information on how sleep, rest, and exercise are interrelated click here
