furycutitout.com

Rest isn’t a reward for the work you’ve been putting in, friend. It’s a requirement. In a society that often praises hustle culture, productivity at all costs, and constantly being on the go, it’s easy to treat rest as something earned. This is especially true for those of us who are actively pursuing our passions that we are excited about, and have trouble turning our brains off. 

1. Why Rest Matters
2. The Importance of Resting
3. The dangers of not getting enough sleep 
4. The symptoms of exhaustion:
5. How to improve your rest
6. Here’s some sleep natural improvement tips:
7. Go to Bed

Trust me, I lived by Rick Ross’ lyrics in the lustfully soulful “In Vein” song featuring The Weeknd. Just because a celebrity raps “You gotta grind ‘til your eyes close,” doesn’t mean that you have to work yourself until you pas out to see a dream come to fruition. You also don’t have to run yourself into the ground to justify taking a break. It’s not healthy.

Why Rest Matters

Getting your rest isn’t just about sleeping—though sleep is a crucial part of it. Rest includes mental pauses, emotional stillness, and physical downtime. My mom used to have me relax on my bed as a kid, and simply do nothing for a good 30 minutes. I’d explain that I wasn’t sleepy in protest, and she’d tell me to “Just rest your eyes.” I’m in my 40s, and it’s still a practice that I do to this day. I will lie on my bed and do nothing in a heartbeat, just to rest my mind and body for a moment. 

The Importance of Resting

Resting is when your body repairs, your brain resets, and your emotions regulate. Studies have shown that regular rest reduces stress, supports immune health to help ward off illness, balances, hormones, and improves heart health.

Mentally, it helps with our memory, our ability to focus and make decisions, and processes our emotions to help regulate them. It’s why you often feel better about stressful situations that you endured after you’ve had some sleep.

Rest also improves your ability to prioritize, think critically, and stay consistent—all stuff that’s important for us dream-chasers out there. No pun intended since this is a blog on getting enough sleep.

Listen. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Operating on an empty tank will only get you so far before you crash. Not getting enough sleep can impair your attention span, slow your reaction time, reduce problem solving abilities, and increase irritability. This can also cause rage-quitting for us gamers out there. Check out my blog on How Rage Quitting Affects Your Mental Health and Gaming Skills. 

The dangers of not getting enough sleep 

Continuing to skip out on getting an adequate amount of sleep can also cause physical health problems—not just cognitive ones. Chronic lack of it can contribute to a weakened immune system, weight gain, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and increased risk of heart disease. 

Burn out—a state of physical, mental, and/or emotional exhaustion—is often from pushing yourself too much and not getting enough rest. It’s not fun, either. I write from an educational background which includes my pursuance of higher education from the Yale University School of Public Health, yes. However, I write from personal experience, and as a friend to my readers. Burnout is the devil, and being exhausted can land you in the hospital.

The symptoms of exhaustion:

• Physical symptoms
• Lack of energy 
• Chronic tiredness 
• Sleepiness 
• Headaches 
• Dizziness 
• Sore or aching muscles 
• Muscle weakness 
• Slowed reflexes and responses 
• Mental symptoms
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Difficulty memorizing 
• Difficulty maintaining emotional stability 
• Difficulty starting and completing tasks 
• Brain fog 
• Apathy 
• Emotional symptoms
• Moodiness 
• Irritability 
• Emotional dysregulation 
• Constant feelings of stress 
• Indecision 

Adults typically need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep for optimal cognitive and physical health, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Poor sleep hygiene, irregular sleep schedules, high cortisol levels from being stressed out, too much screen time before bed, and a lack of mental down time can sabotage your sleep being a productive and much needed restoration of self. This can contribute to waking up, feeling tired, irritability, and if you’ve even gotten enough sleep at all. Yes, you. You groggy, grumpy pants. 

How to improve your rest

I get it. Adulting is a full-time job. Some of us need 40 jobs and a lemonade stand in this economy. Others like myself are actively chasing our passions, working to reach our goals, trying to get 10k steps in, and drink enough water. There’s barely enough time to breathe sometimes. Prioritizing your rest doesn’t mean that you are doing less, when life can make you feel like you just aren’t doing enough. It means that you are doing better so you can be better. 

Here’s some sleep natural improvement tips:

• Set a bedtime alarm. We make alarms for waking us up. Make one to signal when it’s time to wind down.
• Cut the lights down or off. Reducing light exposure can help you unwind quicker and better.
• Limit screen time before bed. Blue light and the mental stimulus of endless scrolling can keep you wired and restless. Tiktok can wait.
• Incorporate rest snacking. Take a 5-15 minute break during the day to breathe, stretch, calm your mind, or just be still for a moment. It’ll make a difference.
• Create a wind-down ritual. This is my favorite. Do calming activities such as listening to music(no death metal), enjoy a hot shower, sip sleepy time tea, or journal. Do something that signals to your body that it’s time to go to bed soon. Let that be a moment of relaxation for yourself, and make a habit of it. Eventually your body will get the point, and will prepare for a restful slumber out of habit. 
• Say no more often. Your time is limited. It’s okay to tell people no, and to make time for yourself. There’s nothing in those streets for you. Go get some rest.

Go to Bed

Getting rest isn’t lazy. It’s not indulgent, optional, or selling out to the homies. It’s essential. I reframed how I felt about sleep instead of bragging about how little I got to people as if it was a flex. I took action to have better sleep hygiene, and I am performing much better as a human because of it. 

Shifting your mindset and actions to prioritize sleep will help you be better, also. If you don’t choose rest, your body will choose it for you. My blog on an award winning app to help you naturally fall asleep is on the way!

I’d love to have you subscribe to my site! Enter your email address below to get updates to your inbox so you know when there’s new posts available! See ya in the next post!

Recommended posts: Finding More Success by Celebrating Your Wins
Breaking Bad Habits Gently to Create Good Ones
Beyond the Winter Blues: How to Combat Seasonal Depression
The Positive Benefits of Coloring