A New Appreciation for Rest

Jonathan Burt

A word so simple yet so complex, “rest” is in the vocabulary of everyone and is mentioned in countless writings from the Bible to various wellness manuals.  Prior to becoming a father, I didn’t fully appreciate its value.  I would continuously burn the candle at both ends.  I would typically wake up at 4:30 am and would not go to bed until after the last TNT basketball game went off the air, about 1:00 am.  But, after the birth of my son, sleep became very important to me.  I noticed myself becoming cranky, short- tempered, sluggish, and had a delayed response both mentally and physically. 

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines rest as cessation of work, exertion, or activity.  It also defines rest as sleep or quiet relaxation.  I believe in both.   With a new addition in our household, I noticed myself trying to catch up on rest wherever I could.  I would rest in the car on break between classes and before I picked my son up from the babysitter.  I even tried closing my eyes and relaxing, standing up.  Use your imagination and you can figure how that turned out!  Therefore, the first few months I was literally sleep walking.  Then it came to me - stop over-extending myself, learn to say no, drink plenty of water, and take a multi-vitamin with minerals.  This helped a lot.  I also realized how important it is to learn how to delegate, to take time out for my family and to make time for myself.

The benefits of a well-rested body are numerous.  The central nervous system functions better when the brain is fully alert.  When an individual is in the resting state, respiration is slower, heart rate is lower, digestion speeds up and blood flow goes to the core of the body.  The immune system is also directly affected when the body is being rejuvenated.  While a person is sitting still, the body has a chance to fully focus and build up this system through specific immunity and non-specific defenses.  It would seem that the saying, “A person spends all their health building wealth and then spends all of their wealth on their health,” is true.  We should take a page out of Mexico’s life book and shut everything down for a siesta - a fifteen-minute power nap each day.  We would also benefit from taking a few moments to meditate.  Taking the time for ourselves by getting sufficient rest is a worthy investment. 

Jonathan Burt is an instructor at Irene's Myomassology Insititute, a nationally accredited therapeutic massage school in Southfield.  Irene's provides a massage therapy program, student clinic, personal development classes, and a natural product store.  Jonathan can be reached at (248) 350-1400.