Weekly Hello! #25 — AFK; 7 types of rest.

I have finally learned my lesson! Two Fridays ago, we watched Loyiso Gola perform his new material, and on the walk home, we stopped for some Mcdonald's. Dun dun dun! Wait, it gets worse. I ordered a spicy chicken foldover. This is doubly dangerous. Firstly, I'm choosing to trust Mcdonald's with the storing and preparation of poultry. Secondly, I am having it spicy, effectively masking any warnings from taste or smell. Needless to say, I paid for my misdeeds. Come 4AM of the following day I'd become Jackson Pollock.
Side note; did you know that Jackson Pollock's signature style was actually his copying of another artist, Janet Sobel? She was the originator of that abstract drip style of painting. Yet another example of women being both divorced and erased from their creations.

By Sunday on one of my visits to the bathroom, I weighed myself after having glimpsed my appearance in the mirror, and I had lost 5KG since Friday morning. I wasn't having a great time. Instead of doing the stupidly heroic thing of persisting with my plans even when my body is demanding rest and recovery, I listened. I went back to bed, hydrated and medicated. Two days later I was good as new.
After having forced myself to work while recovering from H1N1 and only succeeding at extending what could have been a week's worth of recovery to 3-weeks, I wasn't going to repeat the same mistake.

To further drive the point home, I am taking 2-weeks of leave and allowing myself much-needed rest. I won't only be practising physical rest, I will be making it a point to get all 7 types of rest! Rest comes in various forms, and each plays a crucial role in our well-being. Just as I learned my lesson the hard way after a spicy chicken mishap, we can avoid similar mistakes by understanding the importance of different types of rest.

1. Physical rest, like sleeping or engaging in activities like yoga, rejuvenates our bodies.
2. Mental rest helps us combat fatigue and improve concentration, allowing us to turn off our busy minds and enjoy a peaceful sleep.
3. Sensory rest is essential to counter the overwhelming stimuli of modern life, achieved by taking short breaks and unplugging from electronic devices i.e. being AFK — away from the keyboard — as much as possible.
4. Creative rest, akin to the awe-inspiring moments when we appreciate nature or immerse ourselves in art, sparks innovative ideas and problem-solving abilities.
5. Emotional rest empowers us to express our true feelings and set boundaries, ensuring we don't feel taken advantage of.
6. Social rest calls for surrounding ourselves with positive and supportive people, even if it means connecting virtually, and fully engaging in meaningful interactions.
7. Lastly, spiritual rest offers a sense of belonging, love, acceptance, and purpose, achieved through practices like prayer, meditation, or community involvement.

By understanding and prioritizing these various forms of rest, we can replenish our energy, enhance our well-being, and avoid burning ourselves out. Check out this video for a more detailed explanation of the 7 types of rest.

A new habit that I've been installing is tracking my energy levels and then planning my day based off of my energy. I've tried doing this in the past but failed miserably because it required me to track too much data and constantly remind myself to check in and adjust. Fortunately, our phones already have all the data and the ability to remind us of things. I've been using an app called Rise which aims to help you optimise your sleep so that you have all the energy to tackle your day.

All you need to do is tell the app how much sleep is optimum for you, and then it creates an energy schedule for you. It will then tell you when to wake up, work on mentally demanding tasks, nap and when to exercise. I highly recommend you give it a try. They offer a 7-day trial, but if you use this link you will receive a whole month.

If you don't want to miss out on extended trials and promo codes in the future, I recommend that you subscribe, as I will only be sharing them with subscribers in the future. Talk to you soon; be you, be great!