The New Year has kicked off and we are all looking ahead with hopeful expectations. After the time-demanding and emotional festive season, many people may experience burnout rather than feeling refreshed for another working year. This may be due to the physical stress of attending every end-of-year meeting. In addition to this may be the stress and anxiety associated with preparing food, buying presents, and entertaining guests
Finding a new rhythm and a balance in the new year may take a while. The truth remains – rest is essential every single night. And even much more needed to maintain a sense of contentment and happiness this year. The only way we can get this vital rest is to prioritize and adequately plan for it.
Here are some intentional ways you can rest this year.
1. Practice Saying No
You don’t have to accept every social invitation that comes your way. There will be times when you must be present for your friends and family, but there will also be times when you can afford to miss and recoup your energy. All you have to do now is pick and choose.
2. Forget about work and responsibilities
According to research, up to 40% of us find it difficult to forget about work during our vacations. Despite the time spent relaxing, we still check business emails, return calls, and occasionally even return from vacations in an emergency. Before the holidays, you should complete all professional matters and do not start new ones, because the awareness of impending work will certainly not let you relax.
3. Detox From Your Devices
See, our devices are quite demanding creatures. It’s okay if you use your phone for taking family pictures, but turn it on airplane mode, turn off notifications, log out of your email, use the “Do not disturb” feature, etc. Consider trying these ‘digital detoxes’ this period and swap your smartphone for a good book. You might be surprised at how much time and energy you gain for other aspects of your life.
4. Watch what you eat and drink
Larger meals take longer to digest, making it harder to fall asleep if consumed too close to bedtime. I understand that resisting the sumptuous delicacies may be difficult. However, you can eat them much earlier in the day to assist your stomach with food metabolization and to avoid a big sugar rush before bed.
5. Don’t Just Indulge
The free time at our disposal may cause many of us to go into excesses — TV all the time, Netflix binges, football binges, activity after activity, movies every day, etc. This is dangerous. While these things may provide a sense of relief, they do not offer rest. Instead, purposefully choose a few activities that will refresh and restore you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You can connect with a good friend, do some exercise, play a game with your family. “Anything you won’t regret the next morning is always a good idea!” someone once said.
6. Give Your Body A Break Too
You can rest intentionally by allowing a few days to a week to focus on rest and recovery for your body, as well as your mind. You might want to consider some physical exercises such as basketball, climbing, jumping jacks, or some more restorative forms of movement for a time, such as walks in nature, meditation, and some gentle stretching. In addition, a spiritual retreat or a massage session is not a bad idea.
7. Sleep and Follow basic sleep hygiene
To have a good quality sleep, you should follow some basic sleep hygiene. For example, to create a sleep-enabling environment, keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, cut exposure to bright lights a few hours before sleeping, and ensure the room is dark and silent. External factors will not disrupt your sleep if you follow these habits.
8. Sleep during Travel
The holiday season is a time to travel for many people and families. Traveling long distances by car necessitates a good night’s sleep, so taking along your own pillow would help. If you feel too tired to drive, you must pull over and take a quick nap or swap driving duties with other passengers.
9. Breathe, reframe, redirect
This is especially important for people who are emotionally burdened by end-of-the-year evaluations. There is a tendency to feel subpar. Interacting with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while can be a recipe for disaster. Also, a simple technique is to externalize your frustrations — take a breath, then reframe anything negative. This isn’t an excuse to deflect blame when you’re at fault, but it’s important to remember that you’re not always the source of the problem. Time and chance happen to us all.
10. Write Down Your Goals for the Year
Finally, take some time to think through what you want to accomplish this year. Do not over-analyze or spend hours planning how you’ll achieve each one. Simply list them out in a journal. This will assist you in clearing your head and also provide a starting point.
Finally, taking the time to relax and ensure that you get enough sleep is the most effective way to be intentional about resting. Don’t feel guilty about sleeping in or going to bed early. After all, we all need this rest to get rejuvenated for a purposeful year.
