As humans, we need rest and relaxation to support our overall health and wellbeing. Yet, this is often seen as less important than the many activities that we fill our lives with. Below are 10 reasons why it’s important to get enough rest and relaxation (R&R) to reduce stress and live happier and more joyous lives.
1. Stress Relief
Just enough stress (eustress) helps to motivate and inspire us to achieve our daily activities and goals, but too much stress (distress) has a negative impact on our body and mind. R&R helps to reduce stress, which then has a flow-on effect to support our physical, emotional and mental health.
Stress effects the liver predominately in Traditional East Asian Medicine so reducing stress also supports liver health and can help you to manage anger and frustration more easily.
2. Better adjustment and clearer thinking
Too much stress affects our ability to deal with challenging situations. R&R reduces our stress and allows both our body and mind to adapt to the challenges that arise in our lives. Reduced stress also help us to think more clearly and make better decisions.
3. Improved physical health
Reducing stress has a number of beneficial effects on the body, including:
- improved immunity
- reduced inflammation
- reduced tension
- improved blood flow to muscles
- reduced muscular pain.
Rest and relaxation can also:
- delay the onset and progression of disease
- reduce the length of illness and
- improve healing/recovery times.
4. Improved mental and emotional health
Chronic stress can lead to:
- fatigue
- burnout
- anxiety
- depression
- reduced ability to deal with stress.
If you are suffering from any of the above, then R&R should form part of your self care routine.
5. Improved Sleep
Most of us have had days where high stress levels have impacted negatively on our sleep. Lowering stress levels make it easier to fall and stay asleep. 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night helps you live life with energy and vitality.
6. Restore your energy
R&R can help you to recover and rebuild your energy stores. Ki (Qi) that was stagnant is able to flow more freely, a relaxed state emerges and energy levels increase.
7. Weight management
Stress produces the hormone cortisol and in chronic stress, this can lead to weight gain and obesity. If you seem to be doing all the right things and still can’t lose weight, chronic stress could be the reason.
8. Better relationships
When our stress is well managed, we can manage our emotions more easily and we are happier people. When we are happier, calmer and more emotionally balanced, our interactions with others also run more smoothly.
9. Enhanced creativity and artistic expression
Eustress supports creativity, but distress can kill it! When you are stressed, creativity and artistic expression can sometimes feel blocked. R&R can help you move out of your head and into your body where creative expression can flow more freely.
10. Joie de vivre!
When we are relaxed, well rested and our stress levels are low, our Ki flows more freely and we can experience vitality and joy.
References
https://ffipractitioner.org/the-benefits-of-rest-reprieve-relaxation-and-rejuvenation/
https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/cortisol-and-weight-gain/
