The Truth About Rest (That I Wish I'd Known Sooner)
Real rest is not:
- Scrolling in bed (I do this every night and wake up more tired)
- Binge-watching shows (my go-to, and it never actually helps)
- Numbing out with alcohol or food (guilty)
- "Relaxing" with your phone in hand (my entire life)
- Vacation where you check email (did this last month, came back more exhausted)
Real rest is:
- Your nervous system actually calming down
- Your brain getting space to process
- Your body releasing held tension
- Reconnecting to what matters to you
- Feeling genuinely at peace
Here's the thing that changed everything for me: We need seven different types of rest, and most of us are only getting one (maybe).
Understanding this explained why I could sleep 8 hours and still wake up exhausted. Why weekends didn't restore me. Why vacation felt like just another thing to manage.
I wasn't resting. I was just... not working. And that's not the same thing.
The 7 Types of Rest You Actually Need
(And the ones I struggle with most)
1. PHYSICAL REST
Your body is tired.
Quick fix: Go to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight. Take a 20-minute nap tomorrow. Lie on the floor and breathe for 10 minutes.
The practice: Before bed, tense every muscle in your body for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 3 times. Notice how much tension you're carrying.
My struggle: I hold tension in my shoulders constantly. I don't even notice I'm doing it until my neck hurts. I'm learning to check in with my body throughout the day and ask: "Where am I tight?" It's hard.
2. MENTAL REST
Your brain won't shut off.
Quick fix: Write everything in your head on paper. Every thought, worry, task. Then close the notebook. It will all be there tomorrow.
The practice: Take a 15-minute walk with no phone, no podcast, no agenda. Just walk. Let your mind wander. This is when your best ideas come.
My struggle: This is the HARDEST one for me. My brain runs constantly. I plan conversations in the shower. I solve problems while eating. The brain dump helps, but I have to force myself to do it because part of me believes if I stop thinking about things, they won't get done. (Spoiler: they still get done. Usually better.)
3. SENSORY REST
You're overstimulated constantly.
Quick fix: One hour tonight with ZERO screens. Sit in a dark, quiet room for 10 minutes. Close your eyes for 5 minutes right now.
The practice: One full day during the holidays with your phone completely off. Tell people in advance. Put it in a drawer. Notice every time you want to reach for it. This will be hard. Do it anyway.
My struggle: I've tried the phone-off thing three times. Made it about 6 hours once. The pull is STRONG. My nervous system is so used to constant stimulation that silence feels uncomfortable. But when I do manage even an hour of true sensory rest, the difference is incredible.
4. CREATIVE REST
Everything feels like work.
Quick fix: Look at something beautiful for 10 minutes without taking a photo or posting about it. Just receive it.
The practice: Visit a museum, park, or anywhere beautiful. Go alone. Create nothing. Experience beauty without having to capture, share, or use it. Just witness.
My struggle: I catch myself immediately thinking "how can I use this?" when I see something beautiful. Like beauty is only valuable if it becomes content or inspiration. Learning to just... receive... without making it productive... is surprisingly hard.
5. EMOTIONAL REST
You're always "fine."
Quick fix: Tell one person how you actually feel. Not "I'm good." The truth.
The practice: Journal for 10 minutes: "What I'm really feeling is..." Don't edit. Don't make it pretty. Just let it out.
My struggle: Ooof. This one. I have come along way in being open and vulnerable around my feelings but there is still a lot I need to learn.
6. SOCIAL REST
People are exhausting you.
Quick fix: Cancel one social obligation this week. Spend that time completely alone doing exactly what you want.
The practice: Say no to anything during the holidays that makes you go "ugh." You don't need a reason. "I need to rest" is enough.
My struggle: I'm a people pleaser. Saying no feels mean. But I'm learning that saying yes when I mean no is actually meaner—to myself AND to them, because I show up resentful and depleted. Still working on this one.
7. SPIRITUAL REST
Life feels empty or meaningless.
Quick fix: Sit in silence for 10 minutes. Just breathe. Touch a tree. Watch the sky.
The practice: The Sacred Rest Ritual below. ↓
My struggle: This is the one that brought me to the Awakened Academy. I was achieving things but felt hollow inside. Like, what's the point? Michael's teaching that we're "spiritual beings having a human experience" hit me hard. I realized I'd been trying to run on my own battery for years, and it was empty. I'm learning to plug into something bigger. Some days it works. Some days it doesn't. But I'm trying.
YOUR REST PRESCRIPTION FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Pick ONE of these. Just one. Commit to it. (Or if you're like me and need multiple, pick what calls to you most.)
(I'm doing Options C, D, and E. Three feels doable. Four felt like too much. Baby steps.)
OPTION A: The Phone Funeral
What: 24 hours completely phone-free When: December 26th Why: Your brain is in constant reaction mode. Breaking this for one day is genuinely restorative.
I'm not doing this one—honestly, 24 hours feels impossible right now. Maybe I'll work up to it. Or maybe you'll try it and tell me how it goes.
OPTION B: The Morning Ritual
What: 30 minutes alone every morning before anyone else wakes When: Daily, Dec 23 - Jan 2 Why: Starting your day from peace instead of chaos changes everything. This is what the Awakened Academy calls your "morning practice that nourishes your soul."
I'm incorporating this into my nature hour instead of making it separate.
OPTION C: The Full Stop ✓ I'm doing this one
What: Three days with absolutely nothing scheduled When: December 27-29 Why: Your body needs actual emptiness, not light activity. This is where real restoration happens. In the Awakened Work framework, this is called "Unicorn Time"—space for magic and renewal.
My commitment: I've blocked Dec 27-29 in my calendar. NOTHING scheduled. No plans, no obligations, no "maybe we should..." If I wake up and want to do nothing, I'll do nothing. If I want to take a walk, I'll take a walk. No agenda. The anxiety about this tells me I need it.
OPTION D: The Boundary Practice ✓ I'm doing this one
What: Say no to one thing you don't want to do When: This week Why: Rest isn't just absence of activity—it's presence of choice. Michael teaches that "the things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
My commitment: Say no to one thing when I don’t want to.
OPTION E: The Nature Hour ✓ I'm doing this one
What: One hour outside alone every day When: Any time during the break Why: Nature literally regulates your nervous system. It's science and magic.
My commitment: Every day Dec 23 - Jan 2, one full hour outside. No phone. No podcast. Just me and nature. Morning if possible, but any time counts. I'm going to actually do this.
So that's my plan: Nothing scheduled Dec 27-29. Said no to one draining thing. One hour in nature daily.
Will I succeed at all of it? Probably not perfectly.
Will I try? Absolutely.
Want to join me? Pick whichever one(s) call to you. Tell me which ones you're choosing. Let's keep each other accountable.
What the Science Says
I'm not making this up. Here's what research shows:
- Workers who take one full day off per week accomplish 30% more than those who work seven days
- Mental rest improves decision-making by 25%
- 20 minutes in nature significantly lowers cortisol (stress hormone)
- Sleep deprivation impairs judgment as much as alcohol intoxication
- Creative insights come during rest, not forced work
Translation: Rest isn't lazy. Rest is literally how you become better at everything.
You can't run on your own battery forever. You need to recharge from something bigger.
I'm still learning to believe this. My default is still "work harder." But the evidence is overwhelming. Rest works.
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Mathias Ihlenfeld
(737-600-6142)
mathias.ihlenfeld@birthingofgiants.net
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