Rest and Recuperation

It’s true the world has suffered a trying couple of years. For some this was a great opportunity to find some new motivation, improve themselves, learn a new skill or completely remodel the inside of their house. For me, I have spent much of the last two years trying time and time again to find the motivation to give myself a better, healthier lifestyle but then failing to follow through. It has been very frustrating and I’ve ended up being quite hard and unkind to myself. However, I have plans in place to make a difference come the new year. Thankfully, I am lucky to have close and constant support from my boyfriend, through thus we can motivate, check and encourage one another.

First things first we will be quitting smoking. Being addicted to something like this is very difficult. Not only is it an expensive habit, its an incredibly detrimental one that can cause far too many long-term problems. We would much rather save what we earn for things like dinner dates and road trips, something we have struggled a little more to do with restrictions in place. I anticipate this being a difficult challenge but I also know we will both benefit from feeling cleaner, better and healthier. I come from a family of smokers, on both sides of the family and so it was almost written in the stars I’d pick up the same habit.

Secondly, in order to allow my body to heal and bounce back from my habits I will be using the gym. I am incredibly lucky that my own parents own a gym. Why I don’t use it comes down to self esteem and confidence to do so. I’ve often used the excuse that I don’t use the equipment in order to preserve it for everyone else. I realise now it’s time to overcome my fears and anxieties surrounding exposure of any kind, get back out and take good care of myself and my body, as consequence I will improve my mental wellness. While this goal doesn’t necessarily involve rest, I believe the long-term benefits to my mental and physical health can and will allow me to rest and recuperate more than I currently can, it’s vital that in order to get a fulfilling night’s sleep the mind and body must be stimulated during the day time. With this in mind, I also hope to improve my sleep pattern, which leads me to my next point;

Food! Since I was a teenager, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with eating. I love food, I really do, however I struggle with feelings of shame and guilt for eating it, which is incredibly frustrating as I have subconsciously conditioned myself to be full after a few bites, feel sick and unwell when a meal is in front of me or to avoid it altogether just so I don’t feel all those negative things towards it. Despite this, when I do eat, it’s not always healthy, I do binge on sugary snacks, pastries and choose microwave meals instead of making the time to cook for myself. Over the last few weeks my partner and I have made some extremely healthy meals, with plenty veg and I have felt good. I have never particularly enjoyed cooking however; I’m finding some excitement for it now and I do plan to maintain and develop my culinary skills. I am very aware of the fact that three filling meals or many small but healthy and clean meals throughout the day are what encourages my body to rest at the right times. Eating dinner at the right time before bed, it is recommended that three hours are left between dinner and bed time, meaning I don’t go to bed too full and bloated and sleep will be comfortable and fulfilling as my body works through digesting my food.

Additionally, I live in the countryside and I have to be honest, I do not make the most of the wonderful nature walks available on my doorstep. I could give a multitude of excuses but it comes down to not wanting to leave the house often and pure laziness. As part of my resolution to rest and improve my health, I will be getting out for more frequent walks and immerse myself into nature. This is something I struggle to do on my own and so it’s likely I will be asking my partner to come with me. Perhaps this will become a hobby or at least something I do a few times a week. It’s far too easy to just jump in the car to get everywhere. As I previously mentioned with regards to attending the gym, I do believe that a walk either around a street for ten minutes or on a designated trail for two hours, no matter the length will give me a sense of achievement and again, exercising my body so it is tired and ready to rest are being stimulated and looked after.

Lastly, and my personal favourite resolution, to spend plenty of time with my partner and our three beautiful cats. This is a concept that brings me the most joy, there is nothing more I wish to do sometimes than be with my family. It has been said that surrounding yourself with pets and a loving partner can greatly reduce stress and depression. I have no idea how statistically or scientifically accurate this is but I can attest to it working for me. I can relax, be myself and let my guard down in the comfort of my home and the company of my boyfriend. Feeling safe and secure is imperative in having a restful mind and body.

To conclude, in order to ensure and maintain a sleep and rest resolution there are many components involved and concepts which go hand in hand with one another. The mind and body are a place that requires a specific balance of activities and this is different for everyone. For me, it’s as described above. All in all, it’s vital to rest, recuperate and take care of oneself. Something we are very rarely told and so aren’t encouraged to believe is that we are a priority, our health and wellbeing must be taken care of in order to live a fulfilling and successful life. Poor physical health has a domino effect, the same as poor mental health and thus proves that all these challenges go hand in hand and therefore need to be addressed as such. Here’s to a restful, non-stressful and above all happy 2022.