even when i was little, i was bad at taking naps. i was often put in my room for “quiet time”, encouraged to sleep, but invariably i spent time in my room making up fantasy worlds for my stuffed animals and talking to myself.
to this day, i have trouble watching TV without doing something else (knitting, coloring) alongside. i have to work REALLY hard at meditating, i’m more likely to have a bad day if i don’t have a plan and just “go with the flow”, and settling down enough to take a nap is impossible unless i’m actively unwell.
so when (well-meaning) people tell me to rest, i used to get really mad:
I CANNOT BE STILL AND REST LOL i should just keep working right?
and then it occurred to me one day while i was in a fitness class that i could use the term “active recovery” and frame some of my activities as rest. because it isn’t true that i never rest, it’s just that in order for me to truly unplug, i usually need to have my mind and/or my body engaged in something.
when you’re working out, active recovery is something that you do during a physically strenuous activity that keeps your heartrate up and your body in motion between sets or repetitions - like jumping jacks in between your weight sets. passive recovery is something that you do to bring your heart rate down - like stretching on the floor afterwards. both have uses. both are important.
some of the things that i have found that feel restful (ie, i feel recharged afterwards and ready for what’s happening next, instead of depleted) that fall into a more active category:
cleaning my house
gardening
reading fiction books
walks with podcasts or audiobooks
hiking
workout classes (where i’m not in charge of what we do! what a luxury!)
coloring
doodling
journaling
paint by numbers
knitting
cooking
time with friends and family
yoga
my list is very specific to me, of course - and is bound up in all kinds of able-bodied, class, and skin color privilege. but i stand firmly behind the concept - sometimes the things that fully engage your body and/or mind can allow you to recharge in different ways than more passive forms of resting can.
so when you’re thinking about how and where to put (more) rest into your schedule, here are some guiding questions:
when does your mind feel most engaged?
when does your body feel most engaged?
are you tuned in to the different kinds of “tired” you can be? - physically, emotionally, mentally, socially etc
what things leave you feeling clearer after you do them?
what kinds of rest leave you feeling less clear, or not as rested, after you do them?