How to rest your mind

— Jump to the downtime inspo list

Athletes recognise the value of rest days. Regular time off allows the body to repair, grow, and strengthen. The truth is, muscles aren’t built during workouts alone.

We know that heavy exercise can create small muscle tears, which are then naturally repaired and strengthened during all-important periods of relaxation.

In the same way, to function at its best, the brain also needs a balance between working out and time off. In fact, scientists have discovered that important stuff goes on while it stops focusing on a task and is at rest.

When the mind is allowed to drift, a part of the brain lights up that’s linked to retrieving memories, relating to emotions, joining up ideas, and creativity. All the things that give a person a sense of who they are, as well as a feeling of being more connected to others.

Like most things, what’s needed is balance. Focus is necessary to achieve goals, and to get things done. But slaving over a task without giving your brain a rest won’t necessarily get the best results – and the same can be said of sitting around daydreaming without any periods of focused attention.

NATURAL CYCLES

The good news is that it’s not completely on you to figure out when to be in each state. This is because every living thing – animals, plants, fungi, and even bacteria – is guided by natural rhythms. The most obvious is the 24-hour cycle from day to night, light to dark, which nudges some people out of bed as the sun rises, at the same time as it sends nocturnal creatures scurrying to their shelters for protection from predators.

Then there’s also the rhythm of the seasons, the cycles of the Moon, and a person’s own physical rhythms – their heartbeat and breathing.

All these cycles help to organise many things, like when to eat, sleep, stay in, and go out. They guide the farmer to the best season to sow certain crops, for example, and alert the sailor to the changing tides.

BODY’S RHYTHMS

In a similar way, people have an energy cycle that rises and falls throughout the day, which is called an ultradian rhythm. These generally last between 90 minutes and two hours, with each containing a peak and trough of energy.

If you consider the way most school days are put together, for example, with a break in the morning and another at lunch, you’ll see that the academic timetable tends to operate with these body rhythms in mind.

Of course, everyone is unique, and you might find that your rhythm is a little different. That’s fine. The important thing is to understand your natural rhythm so you can get the most out of those times when you’d like to be focused and give your brain some downtime, too.