Sitting by the fire in your pyjamas at noon reading a book may seem like a luxury, but actually it can be essential for your health. If you’re overworked or if your enthusiasm for life is busy being sucked away, it might be time to de-stress and take some well-earned time for yourself.
Have you experienced this: you’re so busy and you know that you should slow down, but you don’t because there is so much to do? Then you end up getting sick or having a burn-out. When you reach this point, you have no choice but to stop. The rest you require for recovery after getting sick is even more than you needed initially, so in the end, you end up losing productivity. On top of that – you aren’t even able to enjoy the rest time at that point because you feel lousy.
It’s so important to listen to your body and to know when to stop. If you feel like you are hitting the limit line, take the steps that work for you to get some rest. You not only deserve it, but it’s necessary for you to move forward productively.
Try to find out (perhaps you already know how) what brings you back into the healthy function zone. Perhaps it’s snuggling with your pet or loved one, getting a massage, reading a good book, taking a walk in nature, doing a proper break-away week-end, taking a few deep breaths, doing some yoga or doing some form of exercise. Or maybe it’s staying in bed an extra hour, meeting a friend for lunch, dancing, praying or laughing.
This isn’t only important in terms of being productive. It is also really important for your health and even your waistline. Chronic stress increases the production of cortisol (the main stress hormone). Chronically elevated cortisol can add to increased blood sugar, cholesterol and depression. Too much cortisol also interferes with thyroid and growth hormones, causes muscle loss and negatively impacts sleep, all of which promotes weight gain.
Find a few things you enjoy and do them as often as possible. Relaxing is as important as breathing, sleeping or eating. Not doing it will kill you.
- If you want to learn more about listening to your body and what relaxation therapies to use for your specific body, let Health Nook assist in your journey. Our individualised holistic health plans are ideal if you’re looking to better your overall health and well-being.
