Going Grayscale: It’s time to rest.
I honor my personal needs and ensure I have enough restful sleep.
The affirmation above may sound familiar if you read my early August newsletter, Daily Affirmations for Educators.
Honoring my personal needs requires me to set boundaries. We often discuss boundaries we must set with other people to protect our peace and happiness. I’ve found that I must establish personal boundaries just as often to sustain my overall well-being.
While technology can be a tool we turn to for distraction and entertainment, I began using technology as a tool for setting personal boundaries. My favorite tool is the Sleep function on my phone.
What types of reminders assist you in transitioning from one mode to another?
On weekdays at 10pm, my phone automatically initiates sleep settings:
the phone screen shifts to grayscale
dark mode is initiated on apps that normally have bright white backgrounds
the eye comfort shield is enabled
sound mode and volume is set to mute
do not disturb is activated
and power saving turns on.
My sleep settings remain in place until 5:30am or until I turn them off.
While these sleep settings don’t instantly lure me to sleep, they are a powerful visual reminder that it’s time to wind down and transition to evening rest. Most evenings, I’m tired before the settings switch on. But when I’m awake and not quite tired, I use the reminder to transition into my nighttime routine and to wind down.
I don’t need to convince you of the power of a restful night’s sleep. And, we’re all guilty of not honoring our body’s need to rest for just one more episode or one more game.
Rest is more than sleeping.
As Casey Jourdan, reminds us in this TikTok video, there are seven areas of rest, as noted by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover your life, renew your energy, restore your sanity:
physical rest: passive (sleeping) and active (like yoga or massage)
mental rest: slowing down/quieting the racing mind
emotional rest: experiencing a calm authenticity rather than suppressing feelings
spiritual rest: experiencing belonging and being connected with a greater purpose and higher being
social rest: being in relationship with positive, supportive, and meaningful people who give you life
sensory rest: intentionally not tuning into one or more of your senses for a short period
creative rest: experiencing beauty, awe, and wonder
When we hear the word rest, our mind often associates the word with physical rest. How might we be more attuned to ourselves in order to assess what type of rest we need? When I have a break between sessions, sometimes I need physical rest, while other times I need sensory rest, time away from screens and alerts. After a long day of holding space for others, I may need mental or social rest to help reset. How restored I feel on the other side of rest depends on whether I’m resting in a way that meets my actual needs.
The next time you’re feeling out of touch, desensitized to sensations, detached or isolated, unsatisfied or numb, insecure, overwhelmed, or lacking energy, pause and ask yourself, “What type of rest am I needing at this moment?” Honor that need and find ways to connect to the rest your mind, body, and heart deserve.
Affirmation remix:
I assess my needs and ensure I am resting in a way that honors those needs.
My coaching services help my clients prioritize their health and wellness and align their lives with their core values. However, my coaching services are at capacity at this time.
If you want support in enhancing your self-awareness, emotional capacity, and commitment equity, you can access my free video series, Start From Within, while you wait for coaching services.
New material is in the process of being designed. Thank you for being so patient as I paused development this spring/summer for beautiful personal reasons, which I’ll share more about soon.
