Active Rest

Hitting summer blues? Doing nothing isn’t as restful as it sounds.

Have you heard of active rest? When serious athletes have a “rest day”, they rarely are doing *no* exercise. Active rest days still include some sort of physical work, just less intense. Active rest days may include yoga, stretching, swimming, dancing, or going on a long walk.

Guess what? Your brain needs the same thing.

Summer is usually a time where we straight up stop doing things. Maybe you get away to your summer home or say no to regularly scheduled programs, and spend more down time with friends and family. However, this lack of structure can actually backfire in the form of anxiety.

Find the middle ground with giving yourself active mental and social rest. Here are some ideas:

Set some attainable goals.

You don’t have to train for a marathon or anything, but setting some small goals that you can work toward gives your brain something to pursue. Maybe you want to read 2 books per month or cook through a cookbook you picked up three years ago.

Get into mindfulness.

Take the summer to get yourself hooked on some good, healthy habits. Practicing mindfulness or learning meditation skills are skills you can take with you into busier seasons of life.

Do a home improvement project

Rearrange that furniture, redecorate your bathroom, print out and frame those family photos from last summer. Freshening up the walls you live within will brighten your mood for a long time.

Be active!

Get outside and go for a hike or jog, or maybe you’re the yoga in my backyard sort. Either way, get that body moving. Set a time each day to get that heart rate up, and enjoy the nice weather while we have it!

Pursue a hobby

Maybe there’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try, or perhaps you used to be an expert soap maker and sort of forgot about it. Find something that interests you and dive deep! Research the history of it, hit up the craft stores for the best supplies, and get your hands busy. Creativity and hobbies build up your personal identity and create an incredible sense of self-worth.