Take a moment and think about the last couple times that you truly rested. What were you doing during these moments? Did they involve watching television or scrolling through social media on your phone? If you are participating in these activities during your “rest” time, you might actually be causing more fatigue than rejuvenation. It is crucial that we work to take care of our nervous system.
A person’s nervous system directly impacts their digestive health through two different branches called the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. When these branches are negatively impacted it can cause digestion to slow or become complicated.
In order to regulate your nervous system, bring down stress levels, and feel energized, we must participate in authentic rest activities. There are several different types of rest that we can tap into to feel relaxed and ready to take on the world. Let’s break these down and dive deeper into how digestion is impacted by nervous system regulation.
The Rest Trifecta: Mastering Physical, Mental, and Emotional Downtime
The art of physical rest consists of both passive and active activities. Passive physical rest refers to the most common type of rest we are familiar with, sleep! Sleeping is crucial to achieving true rejuvenation. When we are asleep, there is reduced brain activity, our cells repair, and we undergo hormone regulation. Achieving REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the ultimate goal. REM sleep is crucial in helping your body do the work it needs to during sleep. The recommended amount of sleep time varies from person to person, but a general rule of thumb is around seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Active physical rest consists of activities like massages, yoga, or stretching. This type of rest can be especially beneficial for those who have strenuous jobs that require them to exert their body in a physical manner.
Our mental space can be the hardest area to take care of because there is no way to escape your mental environment. That is why it is so important to take care of your mental health and make time to rest mentally. Meditation and journaling are great ways to allow your mind to rest and become unburdened. If you are holding on to something mentally, use journaling as an outlet for these thoughts and allow yourself to let go of the ones taking up space and causing mental fatigue.
Emotional distress can start to seep into our everyday actions and thoughts if left unattended. We must learn how to give ourselves emotional rest in order to feel peace and balance. Going to therapy, journaling, and connecting with your loved ones are great ways to emotionally decompress. If you are harboring emotions towards a certain situation, take time to get to the root of the issue and find a way to release these emotions either privately or with those that the problem involves.
Let’s Recharge Our Souls With Creative, Sensory, and Spiritual Rest
Have you ever felt confused as to where your restlessness stems from? Sometimes we can do all the work to become mentally and physically rested, and still feel like it is not enough. Sometimes, our restlessness comes from a different place within us.
We must tap into our creative, sensory, and spiritual sides to find where the disruption is occurring.
Sensory rest means unplugging from all forms of stimulation and entertainment. Try to intentionally unplug from your devices and public forms of technology (billboards, ads etc.). This type of rest can also mean stepping outside in nature and connecting with earth instead of technology. Sometimes, your body might just need to breathe in some fresh air and to feel one with the natural world we are surrounded by.
Creative rest could mean stepping away from a project that has been consuming your thoughts. This project could be the stem of your stress. Sometimes, we need to step away from something for a short period of time in order to come back feeling energized and driven towards our goals.
Spiritual rest requires us to look within. Are you connected to a community that allows you to tap into your spiritual side? Sometimes our unrest stems from a lack of something rather than an excess. Take some time to be honest with yourself and look within to what might be missing spiritually.
How Your Nervous System Plays Matchmaker in the Rest-Digest Connection
Knowing the different types of rest helps you achieve true rest in your day-to-day life. Find a way to incorporate regular check-ins on these different aspects of your being throughout your week. This will help you to have more control over your equilibrium and will limit the effects of restlessness on your nervous system.
Your nervous system controls all bodily functions. When you lose balance within your nervous system, these bodily functions become imbalanced and impacted including the digestive process. When your nervous system struggles, you are more likely to experience digestive complications that a probiotic for bloating or a supplement that helps with bloating cannot protect you from.
If your digestive complications stem from a nervous system imbalance, then you must work to bring that balance back to a neutral state. This is essentially called triggering your nervous system. We want to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system that helps to trigger the rest and digest state of being. This can be done by participating in calming, meditative practices. Massages, long warm showers, deep breathing, and spending time in nature are all ways you can trigger your parasympathetic nervous system.
Remember, true wellness does not come in the shape of one activity or wellness practice. It requires us to be present and intentional with all of our actions. Small, consistent changes are what makes a long term difference in the way we view stress and rest. Take some time to think about your relationship with rest and how you can improve it to better your needs.