The Relationship Between Rest and Sleep
At Ground, we believe that self care is mindfulness in action, it is about being present and learning to tune in to our body, and listening to what it is saying.
Self care is proactive, it is not reactive.
Self care is about spending more time in the rest & digest state, to allow our body to restore and balance.
'Fight or Flight' vs 'Rest and Digest'.
'Fight or Flight' mode is when our system is flooded with adrenaline & cortisol, increasing blood flow to our limbs and brain, making us generally more alert. 'Rest and Digest' is when our system slows down. It prioritises blood flow to our internal organs and reduces our heart rate. All in the aid of helping us relax.
What triggers Fight or Flight?
Sometimes it's hard to know you're in fight or flight when you're in the middle of it. Fight or flight results in burnout; this impacts your life because when you are in this state - you are irritable, you feel sad and hopeless, you feel sluggish and tired, you feel less like yourself. It can create brain fog and anxiety, making it nearly impossible to perform as we would like to. This state of being has a knock-on effect with everything going on in your life.
How can we enter Rest and Digest?
We can simply enter Rest and Digest by learning to just let ourselves be. We can practice this by allowing ourselves to realign with ourselves, and spending time being present. This could involve anything from hugging a pet, baking, dancing, journalling or walking in nature.
"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep." - E. Joseph Cossman.
When we sleep, our body repairs itself.
A regular sleep cycle is a vitally important part of developing and maintaining regular, healthy sleep patterns. Our patterns have a knock-on effect on our daily energy levels. Setting the stage for a more restful sleep can help you sleep more soundly, and is absolutely essential for concentration and focus during our days.
Give yourself time to slow down and mindfully rest, reconnecting with the things that make you feel at peace. By practicing mindful self-care and allowing our bodies the time to come to balance, we can give ourselves the opportunity to enter flow-state and feel our best selves for when we need to be.
