LifeSurance.info – Mental rest is the effort needed to calm the mind after doing a busy chore that drains a lot of energy. This is necessary to reduce excess stress and maintain mental health.
When a person faces a condition that triggers stress, the body will react naturally, namely by releasing a hormone called cortisol. This reaction is actually good for dealing with dangerous or threatening situations, but you still need a mental break to avoid the negative impact.
Mental Rest and Its Benefits
The benefits of mental rest are basically to calm the mind and reduce excess stress. This is important to note considering that the human brain has a saturation point. By taking time to rest mentally, the brain will be fresh again so that thoughts and emotions become more stable.
Mental rest does not mean stopping the work of the brain completely, but activating other parts of the brain that actually become more active when you are not doing much and are too focused on processing information from the outside world.
There is a study that states that brain activity during leisure time is indeed beneficial for mental rest. Instead of processing information from the outside, this can push the mind to focus on itself.
Mental Rest and How to Do It
There are many ways to rest mentally, this can be different for everyone, depending on the person’s stress level and habits.
Here’s how to take a mental break that you can do:
1. Take time to relax
In the midst of your busy work, there is nothing wrong with taking your free time to just relax and do nothing. This is one way to rest mentally. This way, your mind will be refreshed and ready to go back to the activity afterwards.
When you take time to relax, you can also do activities that make your body and mind more comfortable, such as yoga, meditation, or massage.
2. Do something fun
In addition to taking time to just relax, you can also do fun activities, such as watching movies at the cinema, playing games, and watching concerts. You can do it alone or with friends.
In addition, filling your free time by doing hobbies that you have can also be beneficial for mental rest.
3. Adopt a mindfulness lifestyle
Mindfulness lifestyle is a type of meditation that can train you to focus on your surroundings and the emotions you feel, and accept them openly. Mindfulness meditation can be done by anyone and can be done anytime and anywhere.
You can start by finding a comfortable sitting position, regulating your breathing, then focusing on your heart rate or feeling the sensation of air flowing as you inhale and exhale.
Next, focus on the circumstances that are happening around you. You can also use your five senses to observe and feel the surrounding conditions.
4. Focus on controllable things
Mental rest can also be done by focusing on things that can be controlled. When you’re stressed, it’s not uncommon for this to arise from something that isn’t really something you can control.
By focusing only on what you can control, you will avoid the risk of excessive stress, tend to be more relaxed, and more emotionally stable.
5. Acceptance
Accepting yourself can also be an effective mental break. This way of resting mentally is one of the efforts to accept yourself fully.
A variety of emotions, such as fear, joy, and happiness, will help you to recognize yourself. That way, you will tend to be more relaxed and remain confident in facing the reality that is happening.
In addition to some of the ways above, taking time off work can also be done. In addition to resting your mind, it also gives you time to evaluate yourself thoroughly. That way, you will be more confident and your mental health will always be maintained.
If you are having trouble implementing the above ways of mental rest for some reason, do not hesitate to consult a doctor or psychologist. Later, you will get the right advice and according to your condition.
