We spend so much of our time doing. We are busy from sun up until sun down. We are plugged in, connected, and constantly busy. Today, I would like to talk about something we sometimes fail to do, but it’s very important for our well-being; rest.

Rest is so important. We can think that running full steam ahead is a great idea, however our bodies will suffer if we don’t rest. Here’s some info on rest.

Rest helps keep our hormones in balance. The hormone grenalin which controls hunger is disrupted when we do not get adequate sleep. When we are sleep deprived, we are often hungrier. Grenalin  stimulates our desire for fatty food and high calorie density food. Lack of sleep also disrupts the hormone leptin. “Leptin signals the brain that the body has had enough to eat, producing a feeling of satiety. Moreover, this fullness hormone may make it easier for people to resist the temptation of foods high in calories.^1″

Rest helps us to build muscle. Despite what we may believe, working out every day at high intensity is not the best. Here’s some information from Livestrong. “Overworking your muscles actually prevents muscle growth, because your muscles do not have time to adjust to the strain put on them. By doing tough muscle-building exercises with adequate rest, you will see gains in muscle strength and bulk in a few weeks,” Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/100116-proper-way-build-muscles/#ixzz2J1GaL6p4.

Even if you are not working out to build muscle, overworking our bodies is not beneficial for our health. Rest is important for a healthy body.

Rest improves mental and emotional health. If you have ever suffered from insomnia, which I have, you know that your mental health suffers when you are exhausted. You can’t think clearly. Everything seems to be especially hard and taxing. You may suffer from anxiety, a bad case of the grumpies, lack of concentration, etc…Sleep and rest (ceasing from continual activity) helps the mind to function the way it is supposed to.

Rest helps your body combat stress. Stress is not our friend. You can go back and read earlier posts about what stress does to the human body. Prolonged stress causes hormonal imbalances, weakens the immune system, can cause gastrointestinal problems, relational problems, hair loss, etc…We want to rest so our bodies can rebound from excess stress.

Rest helps us to remain at center, at peace. I am a person of faith. I believe peace is powerful. Rest helps us to remain at peace. When we are constantly moving, doing,etc…our spirits suffer. I often lack peace when I am ceasing to rest. You may not be a person of faith, so hang with me if you aren’t. My goal on this site isn’t to push my beliefs on you. I do believe in God and that rest is a spiritual discipline. A Sabbath is needed to benefit not only the body, mind, and emotions, but our spirits as well.

Well, my dear friends. I hope that you find time in the midst of busy lives and strenuous workout schedules to rest. Make rest a priority! Keep up the good work, I am cheering for you!

1. Baicy K, London ED, Monterosso J, Wong ML, Delibasi T, Sharma A, Licinio J (November 2007). “Leptin replacement alters brain response to food cues in genetically leptin-deficient adults”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104 (46): 18276–9. doi:10.1073/pnas.0706481104. PMC 2084333. PMID 17986612.