As I write this, I'm settling into the first week of school holidays (what a feeling!), and while it's very pleasant not having to go through the usual rigmarole of getting ready and being out the door early, I'm already finding myself wondering what I'll do for the next two weeks. (Not mentioning the marking I brought home with me, and the inevitable drafts I'll get sent through from my year 12's, who finish in less than a month now!)
I have two younger children, so I'm not going to be short on activities that are aimed at keeping them entertained, but that's not really my angle.
What I'm wondering is: how, in this break between third and fourth term, after another year of COVID pretty much dictating when and where we'll be teaching from (although, it's been fairly straight forward where I live), what will I do to recharge my batteries? How will I really find soul-soothing rest that will see me return for the final term of the year feeling refreshed and as if I've actually had some time away from work?
If you're anything like me, you love nothing more than switching on a good television series or film and watching it with a bowl of chips and a few beers, and thanks to the advent of streaming services, it's even better because there's so much to choose from in the comfort of our own living rooms. It's stress free consumption! At least, that's how we perceive it.
Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong, but I suspect that all too often, we (I) mistake relaxation for rest.
When I sit and watch the television, I'm relaxed. There's no doubt about that. I'm sitting, and as I watch the events unfold on the screen before me, tension and anxiety from the day slowly dissipate. However, I'm starting to wonder whether during the ninety or so minutes that I'm sitting watching the show if I'm really actually getting rest, or just relaxing a little. What if the show I choose to watch is a horror or thriller, that leaves me on the edge of my seat the entire time, waiting for the next 'thing' to jump out of the shadows? What if I'm watching my favourite sports teams in the closest match of the season? Not really restful, is it? Studies have shown (and I'm not overly sure how accurate the studies are) that watching horror movies can increase the heart rate to a point similar to what has been measured in people riding roller-coasters or sky diving. How restful could that really be?
Now, so far, I've picked on watching television, but there are plenty of other activities we choose to do to relax. Another I enjoy is reading. Nothing much better than a thick novel to help me unwind, in fact, I think I find this more relaxing than watching television. And again, while I find this to be an activity that helps me to release tension and anxiety, I often drink coffee while I read, and I don't mean one medium strength flat white. (I discovered recently that a flat white is typically an Australian coffee, so if you don't know what one is, think a latte but with less foam and more milk.) No - I prefer my coffee black, and strong, and I drink a lot of it when I read. My point being, my reading time is certainly relaxing because I get to sit and do something I enjoy, but due to the extra coffee drinking activity I also partake in, I'm probably not really completely resting - in fact, in my case, it more likely that after spending an hour reading, my body is more wired from coffee over-consumption than when I initially sat down.
Pause here and consider what activity you enjoy as a way of relaxing. It might be a pastime, an hobby, or pretty much anything - gardening, walking, bike-riding - the list goes on and on. Now, stop and consider any effects your preferred relaxation activity has on you either mentally, physiologically, emotionally, etcetera. For example, if you like to ride a bike, that's great, it's an excellent form of exercise, but it does, obviously raise your heart rate. 'Yeah, Steve, but it also helps me to clear my mind.' I get that, but you're also using your mind a great deal. If you're riding on the road, you're following rules, trying not to get hit by cars, or trying not to hit them. If you're riding on a shared bike/walking path, your dodging pedestrians, children and animals. Riding a bike is relaxing, yes, but you're also maintaining diligence in order to avoid an accident.
If it feels a little like I'm picking on your favourite relaxation activity, please don't take it that way because it's not my intention. What I'm considering here, is do we ever completely switch off our brain so that we can achieve a real state of rest? I know we often feel, that by having a small amount of time to relax that we've found rest, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. In fact, I wonder whether relaxation, something I often mistake for rest, is actually just a small component of really finding a rest that can actually be beneficial. And if that's the case, how do I actually get the rest that I need?
Recently, I've been watching a camping blog on YouTube, and apart from being hilarious, there seems to be an element of rest in what the host does. It got me thinking that maybe real rest doesn't necessarily come from doing something, but from doing nothing. And yes, I understand that doing absolutely nothing is not easy. In fact, in this day where we are constantly entertained by electronics, and 24 hour news cycles, and on demand everything, that trying to do nothing is damn near impossible, and just a little scary too. Doing nothing, or attempting to do nothing, is likely to revolve around disconnecting. Becoming analogue once again. And doesn't that mean being bored?!?
Well, I guess in a way, it does. But there was a time when we were able to survive without a 'device' in our hand. We didn't have on demand viewing. Where I grew up, we had five television stations, minus one, because it was an international channel and always subtitled; minus another, because it was ninety-five percent boring shows, which left really only three channels. To make matters worse, Dad commandeered the television set when he got home from work to watch the news and the shows he wanted, which I didn't really like (or wasn't allowed to watch). I would've been lucky to watch five hours of television a week when I was young. I made my own entertainment.
What I'm suggesting is, that maybe, with a bit of training, disconnecting wouldn't be that tedious. Sure, it'd be boring at first because we're so used to having entertainment at our fingertips, but pretty quickly, it wouldn't seem that bad, and I really suspect, that soon after that, we wouldn't even miss our devices. And without them, our brains would get a chance to really reset and rest would start to occur.
I've contemplated, recently, buying some camping gear and taking my family off the grid for a few days so that we can get back to being analogue and see if we can really experience rest this holidays. It'd be great to return in Term 4 not being more tired than when I finished Term 3. The more I think about it, the more I believe that real rest - rest that revitalises completely must come from more than just sitting on a couch with a good book or the television blaring, but rather from shutting off as many distractions as practically possible. As mentioned earlier, it is unlikely that you are in a position where you can remove all distractions, I get that. Children still need love and care. Pets still need food and water. But, my challenge: what can you do to remove a distraction from your life as you seek rest that will really be beneficial.
I'd love to hear your thoughts around some of the ideas raised throughout this piece. What do you do to find rest and/or relaxation (apart from during school holidays - do you have a weekly activity you perform?) Do you agree - are rest and relaxation different? Are you a horror movie fan, and do you think that they really effect the heart in the same way adventure-type activities do? Anything else you'd like to add or comment on? Please drop your ideas and comments below, and if like me, you're lucky enough to be on holidays right now, I hope that you are able to find rest and get yourself rejuvenated for the next instalment. Regardless of where you work, or what you do, finishing strong is important, and being rested is what will help us achieve that.
