You know that saying…. “Do as I say, not as I do?” Well, that just about sums up our Colorado trip. I had full intention on taking time off from work projects to focus on getting a little rest and being a good Sherpa wife to the Kiwi. But what I realized is that I have a hard time saying no, even when I’m fully aware that I need to. In my mind, I hear “work more, save more, work more, save more” (money that is). But even with that mentality, one can be left feeling depleted (ME). It wasn’t until a week into our trip that I realized I was doing just that. I wasn’t even giving myself a chance to slow down. And when I don’t slow down, I can’t be there to help my husband when he needs me. Which is the whole point of this training at altitude trip to begin with.
Thank goodness I have friends who keep me real and helped me realize how I was RUSHING, not UNRUSHING. Needless to say, the second part of the trip was all about being present.
So today I wanted to talk about the gift of rest. And lucky for me, I have a good friend and fellow Sherpa wife (Tara) who speaks from experience and is here to share tips on HOW TO REALLY EMBRACE REST!
Hi! My name is Tara and I am a Performance and Lifestyle Coach. I help individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and athletes leverage key strengths to achieve greater success in their personal and professional lives. My blog, Family Sport Life, focuses on personal leadership, productivity, organization, healthy living, parenting and triathlon. I hold a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and 15+ years experience in Corporate Leadership Development.
I am a skilled life juggler, a mom to “The A Team”, and a proud Sherpa Wife to my husband (and co-author) John. I am passionate about living an authentic life. In addition, I enjoy running, reading, skiing, paddle boarding, travel, organizing pretty much everything, and game night with my family.
When I received a message from Lindsay asking me to guest post for her, I was honored and quickly asked what she wanted me to write about. She responded with “How to embrace rest. Physical and Mental.” I responded with three letters “L-O-L.”
You see, I am about 4 months into the long journey of healing from Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is what happens when mental, emotional, and/or physical stress causes your adrenal gland to stop functioning the way it should.
Symptoms include:
- Extreme exhaustion making it hard to get out of bed on some days.
- Digestive problems.
- Brain fog.
- Irritability.
- Depression.
- A number of different “itis’” – plantar fasciitis and tendonitis of the supraspinatus
- Disrupted sleep.
- Hypothyroidism.
- Here are some other symptoms that might indicate your adrenals are broken.
Trust me when I say this really threw a monkey wrench in my life plan to be Super Mom and Super Sherpa Wife (yep, I have a crazy age-group triathlete husband)!
I am almost positive I have been suffering with busted up adrenals for years (like 6!). However, it wasn’t until this year when my body started to completely break down did I seek the care of a Naturopath. Breakdown means every itis a runner can have and collapsing with pneumonia while training for a 10 miler. The level of fatigue I was suffering from not only impacted my physical performance but it impacted my mental and emotional performance.
So, here I am in recovery, much like any other recovery – taking it one day at a time. Some days I spring out of bed and have consistent energy throughout the day. Other days, not so much. The silver lining is I have finally started to have more “spring out of bed days” than “not so much” days.
As a recovering perfectionist, recovering overcomplicator, recovering “no rest for the wicked” kind of person I should feel ill equipped to write a blog post on embracing rest from a physical and mental perspective. But I have to tell you, in the last 4 months, I have turned my life upside down looking for ways to heal and create long lasting habits to help me embrace rest.
Here are some of my lessons learned when it comes to How to Embrace Rest:
Be honest. For me there is a lot of fear around rest. Fear of being lazy. Fear of missing something. Fear of becoming sedentary. Fear of not being all things to all people. Ask yourself “what are my fears around rest?” Honesty with ourselves is an important step on our journey for self-awareness. Self-awareness is the first step in creating personal change.
SLEEP. We all know that we should be getting between 7-9 hours of rest. However, this just scratches the surface on what we need to be practicing when it comes to sleep. Dr. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, tells us to start with the end in mind. In other words, from the time you rise think about how every action you take throughout the day might affect your sleep. Looking at the behaviors that might affect your sleep throughout the day (i.e. food, life stress, physical stress, mental stress) will help you create better daily routines that will aid in getting the best night sleep.
Promote Better Mind/Body Connection. Confession: I have found this is where I have a tremendous disconnect. It probably is deeply rooted in my fears mentioned above. I tend to mentally push myself well past my physical limits. There are a lot of great ways to promote a better mind/body connection like yoga, meditation, and journaling. I do all these things but what has been working even better – monitoring my Heart Rate Variability to give me an objective view of my body’s stress. I use the Sweet Beat Life app and a Bluetooth heart rate strap. Measurement is on a scale of 0 – 100. On my best days, I am around an 85. On my bad days, I may be in the 50’s. I can then look at what factors might have contributed to my score so I know what I can improve in the future. It is immediate and clear feedback.
Strive to uncomplicate your life. One of the best books I have read lately is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown (video link). He teaches his readers to become Essentialists who focus on the “less but better” mantra. Nothing has done more to heal my symptoms than eliminating the grey area in my life. It’s either a “heck yes” or it is a no. This way I ensure my focus is only on the critical few.
Unplug. Don’t worry, I am not going to bash your iPhone. The world we live in has shifted. We have shifted from growing and producing things to what is now being referred to as a “knowledge economy.” This means there is an overabundance of information available to us and we are required to consume it. Many of us, whether we realize it or not, have become voracious consumers of content with very little cognitive rest periods. We are now self-directing our own learning and probably haven’t given much thought to the pace of our education. As I become more mindful of this myself, I have been scheduling one day a week for intensive learning. Additionally, I have been scheduling daily blackout periods where I unplug or minimize my connectivity. Don’t forget to lose yourself in a good book just for the fun of it!
Support. THE MOST important of all the lessons I have learned. Find people who support your vision of wellness and who will encourage you to rest. We are lucky to be living in a big world connected by the interwebs. If the support doesn’t exist in your immediate circle, find on-line friends. You can always hang out with me and Lindsay. We love to encourage people and share how we are learning to take better care of ourselves through proper rest.
Tara.
You can Find More of Tara and FamilySportLife Here:
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FSLblog
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/familysportlife
- Instagram– http://instagram.com/familysportlife
What lessons have you learned about embracing mental and physical rest?
[Tweet “Honest Tips on How to Embrace Mental and Physical Rest @familysportlife via @LCCotter #fitfluential”]
Cheers!
Sherpa Wife Cotter
- Twitter-@LCCotter
- Instagram –LCCotter
- Pinterest– LCCotter
- Email- [email protected]
- Bloglovin-Cotter Crunch
- Feed burner –Subscribe Here
- Crazy Cotters (both our blogs combined) Facebook page.
Great Job ,its really very useful for us.
This was wonderful – and just what I needed to read as I enter into my own off-season. Thanks 🙂
I knew I was going to like this post from the moment I read the title. I’ve actually had to employ a lot more rest hours lately. I’ve been working far too many hours at my job and instead of coming home and blogging and doing all the things, I’ve been doing a lot of self care which involved a heaping dash of nothing. It’s good for me in the long run and gives me the energy to keep up with the frantic pace at the office. I would eventually like that to lessen so I can devote more time to things which really make me happy, but in the meantime, I will rest. Oh and ask for help because that’s sometimes equally as important.
Love the quote on unplugging to recharge. Thanks for a thoughtful article. I do think finding rest is so important in today’s busy world.
yes, definitely a good reminder each week too!
Lindsay, I really admire you as always for your honesty about the constant desire to do more. I think you know that I struggle with the same thing – and even though the last time I was in Colorado I did a LOT better, I still worked every day. Completely unplugging is just not something that comes natural to me, and I’m a constant work in progress!
Tara, WONDERFUL tips and thanks for sharing your journey. The part I relate to most is you saying that you’re a “recovering perfectionist, recovering overcomplicator, recovering “no rest for the wicked” kind of person.” Me too!! I appreciate your tips and look forward to putting them to use 🙂
thank you megan! i feel like we are so similar indeed! very passionate about what we do, that it can be hard to allow ourselves to rest and recoup. But we are learning, yes!
Great advice! I know WHAT I need to do, I know HOW to do it, but that little nagging voice keeps telling me “just one more thing” over and over again. I need to re-learn these behaviors. Thanks Tara! Pinned and tweeted. 🙂
Thanks Michelle. I know you know what to do 🙂
I love seeing Tara here and I’m grateful for all these reminders. I’ve actually taken an hour out of every other day to read something I want to – not because I’m reviewing it – and it’s been lovely. Sometimes I don’t get the whole hour in, but I try!
I loved being here and I was on my BEST behavior so I get invited back 🙂 I am an avid learner and I have to force myself to read for pure pleasure. Nothing relaxes me more than getting caught up in a good book.
Yeah, I don’t rest. My mind and body are always going 1000000 miles per minute. However, just today………… Something happened, and a cloud lifted, and I am thrilled, beyond belief. And it will certainly help me calm down a little bit… Maybe go 5000 miles per minute! Phew!
Congrats on the cloud lifting and being able to bring it down to 5000 miles per minute 🙂
I feel like I have been running on empty these past 2 weeks – I so needed to read this! Thanks Tara and Lindsay!
i think we all can relate… time to slow our pace and support a different lifestyle, yes?
Ironically, you BOTH know my thoughts on this.
Love it. Can you both be my sherpa wive(s).
Done and done! but you must be our no bake breakfast boy supplier!
At this point I will Sherpa for anyone…I am a professional 🙂
So glad you found your balance partway through! This is a great post and I love the tips on taking care of yourself, as you said it can be so easy to forget that it’s our most important job 🙂
Great post with helpful tips and great reminders! 🙂
These tips are amazing. I’m so grateful for your post! It wouldn’t surprise me if adrenal fatigue was common among people who are so stressed and is just missed and/or dismissed. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of rest and the value of naturopaths! Thank you for the tips.
I agree Amalia…I am sure there are a lot of undiagnosed people with adrenal fatigue.
I was not good about taking rest days until lately… I just need them – and that extra time – some days. I’ve been trying to read before bed lately, I feel like it helps me sleep so much better!
Yes, Cassie, reading really helps. Any time you can eliminate the blue light from electronics a few hours before bed will help too.
LOVE this. Such a great post – from BOTH of you. it’s so true, sometimes we ARE afraid of rest, true rest, our minds play such mental tricks on us. it’s only when we DO rest, either forced (sadly!) or voluntarily, do we realize how much we need it.
You speak the truth! I am glad I was forced because now I can recognize when I need it voluntarily.
Yes, both are so important!
Great post and great timing. I’m getting caught up in a lot of “stuff” lately and feeling a bit out of control. I love the idea of uncomplicating my life and appreciate you listing some steps for help with this. Thanks!
Uncomplicating life is fantastic. This is something I have been working on diligently for the last month and it has been well worth the effort.
Rest days are sooo important – and I haven’t been taking enough of them. Mental rest days that is! I have been run down myself physically and emotionally, and I can feel how its affected my body. I need to slow down for a while.
Alysia – I am going to acknowledge your awareness and encourage you to give your body what it needs. The perspective we gain from rest is always a great reward.
Does resting on vacation count? I think I felt the most rested (yes, even with the cycling) on this trip than I have ever. It was fantastic. Now I need to apply these tips to normal life. 🙂
I think vacation counts! Stepping away from our daily grind can be restorative even if you remain active.
Great tips. Rest is SO important!!
Oh, wait a bonus day – 2 incredible Sherpas in the same place!!! Tara is awesome and always has great stuff to share with us. The physical rest is where I struggle – working on it!!
Thanks Kim. One small action at a time.
I feel like you wrote this for me. I just emailed Lindsay asking this question about resting and how to mentally deal with it.
Hi Megan – awareness first, acceptance second, then implementing structures and routines that work for you. It sounds like you have the first two steps already!
I love this post! I am very much a perfectionist and have to get it all done and go all or nothing in life having to give everything my all. I am still having a hard time with this. I go through streaks of feeling like I have the balance down and then I go through others were there is so much going on. When things get busy and crazy as they often do I try to balance it all but can’t give up on my goals and dreams and often it ends up being very little sleep trying to get it all done and I feel the fog and notice a huge difference in my workouts which even when I know I need to rest still push myself.
I recently did Piyo, completing the first 60 days. I got it because we were going to be traveling overseas for a month and it would be a nice break from HIIT but worried I would hate it and get no benefit. Honestly the best thing I ever did for myself and my body (thought I would hate it as I am not a fan of yoga but took a chance). I feel like I get a workout but I am much more relaxed and feel ready to tackle the day and I slept better. Now back home I feel the stress and only 2 weeks into my old more demanding workouts, less sleep, busy schedule, and it is taking a toll. I am thinking about doing another round of Piyo and working on mentally accepting my body. I am toned but did lose some muscle definition with the Piyo over the 60 days, always striving to be better and more fit. As a mom of two girls I need to need to love and embrace my body more and stop striving for “perfection” or to “be better”.
The biggest thing I noticed and want to figure out is I ate so much more and things I wouldn’t eat on a normal basis, indulging often, and only doing the Piyo workouts on vacation and didn’t blow up like a balloon. So basically spending a fraction of the time as my “normal” workouts, less intense, a lot less digestive issues (surprising since I ate many of the things I avoid due to digestion issues) and eating significantly more. I really interested in weather it stress and adrenalin related.
Thank you for this post as it has me really thinking I need to focus more on what I preach, health, not just fitness but over all health…. today is day one let go of the fear, sleep more, and focus on MIND and body. Change in plans and will start Piyo again today instead of what I had planned and being ok with this change.
yes yes yes! just got home from out trip and totally get this! embrace your body NOW. TRUTH
Thank you! I am so happy you had this posted today, it really spoke to me!
I second what Lindsay said and want to acknowledge all the work you did that brought you to this awareness. *fist bump*
Thank you! I know how much stress, overworking the body, and adrenal fatigue can effect ones body but kept telling myself I wasn’t working out that hard or stressed enough. I was in complete denial! It wasn’t until after our trip, getting back and trying to jump back into things (the harder more intense workouts vs ones I was doing daily on vacation) and life that realized it. Then reading your post was a real wake up call.
Oh and my husband just brought up I was just at the doctor for a complete work-up for so many of the things listed above and they found nothing other than boarderline hypothyroid issues they want to watch but after second bloodwork they didn’t want to treat with medication. I need to find a doc that specializes in Adrenal Fatigue. The only thing the doc said was based on what I eat and my daily activity I should weigh nothing, I need to eat more and workout less but then I gained weight, and he told me to stop eating so many cruciferous vegetables, vegetables with fiber, soy, and maybe go back to cutting out all gluten (was told yrs ago I had Celiac but later a gluten intolerance so I don’t need to cut it completely). You really have my wheels turning today.
Sorry for yet another reply but I had a chance to read your story while not in a hurry, but the comments are closed. I am going to research and find a Naturopathic Doctor, your story sounds so similar to mine. Nothing said about melatonin, not sure if they tested it, hypothryroid by new standards but not their lab so they have it as boarderline and the second test only one of the levels was up and you have to have this “combo”, my feratin is low so I take iron pills and my vitamin D was ok. I have heard many of those same comments come out of doctors mouths too.
Hi Sarah – To test for adrenal fatigue you would need a cortisol test. I would also recommend listening to the podcast I linked to in the symptoms section. Cortisol and melatonin are somewhat tied together. Typically if cortisol is high then melatonin will be low. Good luck and feel free to contact me directly.
Thank you Tara. I am going to pull my papers they gave me and I found a doctor but I am also waiting to hear back from a friend to see if she has any recommendations. I also was going to call my RE (don’t see her anymore) but see if it is something that I could see her for and hope that there isn’t a long wait to get in as their is if I would be considered a new patient. Thank you I will be reading up for sure.
Unplugging is SO hard! I’m trying to be better about it!
Erin – I removed all non-essential apps and disconnected my email from my phone. It helped greatly without having to officially unplug.
Oh, so much good stuff! Thank you for sharing, Tara. I’m in a very similar spot, and the bits about unplugging and uncomplicating really hit home. Going to implement a “heck yes or hell no” policy starting today and see what happens. It might get a little wild. 😉
keep us posted DOmi! we’ve both been there!
Hey Domi! I just want to acknowledge you for where you on your journey. Sending you a virtual *fist bump*! And definitely keep us posted.
I would consider myself a busy body, a perfectionist, a “need to do it ALL” kinda person. I’ve had several times where I finally realized I needed to take a step back and change some things in my life. I’m better at resting, and realizing when I need to rest these days, but I still have moments that I need to reevaluate things and make some changes. Thank you so much for this post! Such a great reminder for so many of us. xo
That is great awareness Ashley.
Great tips! I have a really hard time slowing down and resting, but the best way for me to do it is to disconnect; spend time with loved ones; do things that aren’t fitness related; and just BE PRESENT. XOXO
Rest definitely takes a lot of discipline and self-confidence.
Fantastic tips, Tara! I’m glad there is a growing awareness now of adrenal fatigue… so many people deal with it for years without knowing it!
Yes, and it doesn’t help that traditional medical doctors don’t really acknowledge it. At least not the ones I have spoken to.
Thanks so much for this post, Tara! This is definitely a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way. I spent years and years pushing myself way too hard, to the point where my body finally gave up and I had to devote a good amount of time to doing almost nothing and focus on letting my body heal. I wish I can say that I learned my lesson, but there are times even now where I find myself pushing a little too hard. Thankfully my body has become super sensitive to it and is quick to let me know when it’s time to take a step back for a while.
“a good amount of time doing nothing” —> yep! That’s where I am right now. You have greater awareness which shows you have learned your lesson. You listen to your body and know when to step back…win!
SUCH an important message. I see so many runners out there running around with adrenal fatigue and they just don’t know it. I’m glad you figured it out and are on the road to recovery!
Ugh, that was me! And I kept berating myself for my terrible performance and pushing myself harder. It was an ugly cycle!
i love this. and now i’m unplugging!
Way to take action Brittany!
I definitely believe in the power of rest. It’s tough for me as I grew up with parents who were never, ever idle and so I have a mindset of always needing to be doing something. When I take the time to rest, though, I notice a big difference in my attitude towards my family. We all need that time to rest, mentally and physically. Great post!
Great awareness Maryea. You speak the truth about noticing a difference in your attitude.
YES!!! So glad you took that 2nd week Lindsay!
As you know, I get this too well! I am making choices although hard for me in the sense that I miss people, important to me cause I need more me time – need to blog less, social media less – both of those a lot less.. and when we need to make money – you get this Lindsay, lots of work leaves little time for other stuff like rest…
Great post from you & Tara!
Yes, I get this. I miss people too…and some things I like to do. But I have put them on hold to focus on what I LOVE. When I coach entrepreneurs, we spend a lot of time creating structures for self-care. They are always more productive and profitable in the long run.
What a great message. Why is it so hard sometimes to just SLOW down?
Because it flys in the face of social messaging these days. There is almost a peer pressure to do more, go faster, be better. The truth is success comes from within however we want to define it for ourselves. It’s not as tangible.
Gosh I LOVE this topic!!
I used to be all about pushing my schedule to the limits–I would feel bad when I was not going over time…all the time.
Something clicked and suddenly I decided I wanted to ENJOY life a little more–and notice the beauties of nature—and I knew I had to do that by slowing down. Mentally and physically.
I did just that and I LOVE the change–the biggest change is that I connect with people easier, because I have TIME for them.
Thanks for the post, totally love it!
Spot on! Since I had to step away from the training plan (and I am a training plan kinda girl), I have been playing more. Getting the activity in throughout the day or in more social settings. It has been positive mentally and physically for sure. You are right, it brings a lot more JOY.
I love this. And needed this reminder. I feel like I did great at RESTING this weekend – mini road trip, hiking, shopping. But now it’s Monday and I have a busy week of teaching and studying before a long weekend. This was a perfect post for today!
Jen – I can really relate to this. Until I started measuring my HRV I didn’t understand how different activities played into overall stress on my system. A month ago I was out late and had two glasses of wine and didn’t get a full 8 hours of sleep. No big deal. The next night I stayed up a little late to finish a movie. No big deal. The next day I went mountain biking with my husband. Again, no big deal. BUT then I woke up Monday morning and couldn’t get out of bed. With my adrenal fatigue, that one weekend kept me in bed for THREE days while my body needed to recover. There seems to be a cumulative affect to this stuff that we don’t consider.
EXCELLENT post and great reminders! It’s so very hard to put ourselves first sometimes…
Tru dat sister!
Thanks so much for this, Tara and Lindsay! I have felt for a long time that I may be suffering from adrenal fatigue. This is just what I needed to clue me in to research it more and seek help. I’m exhausted all the time, but just keep eating terribly and fighting to keep moving. I really need to take care of myself more and embrace rest. Great tips!
Hi Candace! I am sorry you aren’t feeling well. Please feel free to email me any questions ([email protected]). If you can get a cortisol test done, that is really the best way to find out if your cortisol is a problem.
I so needed to read this. I was in a bad place last spring, healthwise, and I think a lot of it was just that I was worn down mentally. It’s amazing the things stress can do for you. Thank you so much for posting!
Yes Jan, I am finding for me it is the mental stress that wears on me physically causing physical stress. I think we underestimate this because it is less tangible.
That I have to have it. 🙂 I can’t go full tilt all day every day. I’ve learned to put away my phone on Sundays and at a certain time at night. I have learned that meditation keeps me sane.
Yes, yes, yes! You are a wise woman. We are training the little people in my house how to “do Sunday” properly. Rest, unplug, and chill out.
Tara, I totally need these tips and how, because I am totally an A Type personality, who does have trouble shutting down and resting quite often, especially shutting down my iPhone and iPad after a certain time of the day. I am so thankful for your reminder here today and am going to keep trying better now 😉
I am more inclined to Type A behavior myself. It has been a long process shedding the aspects of my personality that don’t serve me. I left my phone home for 4 hours on Saturday by the end I was getting twitchy. Definitely more work to be done.
YES
all of it
and most of all here the BE HONEST (about your needs, about when yer maxed out etc)
Truth. It continually amazes me how I can lie, evade, deflect and cover up in my relationship with MYSELF. I need to treat myself with the same integrity I treat others.
Two AMAZING women together on one page, I LOVE it! Sometimes I wonder how you do it, especially seeing it from the side of John or Kiwi….I know how much we can request, and I (hope) I can say on their behalf (I am sure you know already), it makes one heck of a difference, and we appreciate it more than you could ever know!
That being said, i think I actually suffered from adrenal fatigue earlier this year, Lindsay I know you know all about it…..but it definitely was not fun, and now I have my sherpa…..well, sherpman (is that a word?), I can see the difference it makes. The letting go of feeling lazy is the hardest part for me. I hope you two both continue to listen to your own advice 😉
This entire experience has been both scary and exciting. Scary because feeling so lousy is anxiety producing but exciting because it gave me the much needed motivation to my profound changes in my life. Wellness is definitely a lifelong journey!
And I agree, I know John appreciates my efforts and it takes team work to live life well!
I love, love, love this, especially the discussion of adrenal fatigue with the symptoms, plus the idea of being honest! I too have fear around the idea of rest, and it’s a tough one to grapple with especially if it’s been ingrained in you growing up that doing more is always better. Going to read this over to really let it all sink in!
This is definitely something that has been ingrained in our generation of women. I completely agree with you on that. Sometimes I reflect on the messages I received growing up and try to put them in perspective today. Do they still serve me or do I need to let them go?
Great post & such essential tips! I’m a huge believer that putting yourself first with self-care is SO essential, so you have the energy to give to others. My favorite self-care activities are taking time in the morning for something (maybe meditation, yoga, journaling, or a walk…), movement during the day, and sleep. Meditation has been big for me to have the quiet space during my day & bring me back to presence!
Exactly Lauren! Exactly! Putting myself first allows me to take better care of everyone else. My morning looks just like yours 🙂
Thank you for guest posting!!! I suffer from adrenal fatigue! Not sure what low heart rate has to do with having good or bad adrenals, but I am trying to recover and the worse thing about it is how long it’s taking….gosh darn it!!!
Also, how does one become a lifestyle coach?
Hi Linda – above I was mentioning Heart Rate Variability which is different that heart rate. However, I found the Adrenal Fatigue stressed my body to a point that my resting Heart Rate was elevated often.
I have my Masters in Organizational Psychology and have coached managers and executives for a long time in a corporate setting. I am currently enrolled in the International Coach Accademy’s Coach Certification Program. It’s pretty intensive and a program available to anyone interested in becoming a coach (of any kind).
Great information and advice. I think one of the best things we can do for our bodies is indeed to rest when appropriate, but it can be a mental challenge of sorts to do so. On those days, I have to tell myself to treat the rest day like a speedwork day or long run day–just another day in the training plan that I may or may not want to do at the time, but will benefit me ultimately.
Yes, scheduling rest and treating it as a part of the training plan is a good strategy.
Great tips! I often wonder if adrenal fatigue is often something I have, but being in school I don’t have the money or insurance coverage to see a naturopath 🙁 . I have been trying hard to take more rests and sleep better but the stress of school still eats away at me. I need to find a better way to zen out in class!
Hi Kim
I suspected I had adrenal fatigue for 18 months prior to going to a Naturopath. I took an online quiz from adrenalfatigue.org. While the Naturopath has me following a diet to heal gut health (much of what Lindsay talks about) and taking supplements, I have had the most success with making lifestyle changes to do less. My insurance doesn’t cover the Naturopath either…it deterred me from going for a number of years.
Oh man, I needed this post more than anything today – Thanks Lindsay and Tara! I am currently injured and HAVE to rest and it’s making me all kinds of anxious, haha. Rest is just as important as being active and this was a great reminder!
Becky – I found it took a while for that anxious feeling to go away when I was resting. Unfortunately, injuries and illness are good way for us to take stock of our priorities and learn a little bit about ourselves. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
how did i not know this?! so sorry friend! was it the marathon training?
Ugh yeah… my left IT Band and quad are giving me allll kinds of trouble with my knee. I’m doing this pressure point massage therapy right now that has been helping a little – fingers crossed that I’ll still be able to do the race!
Try acupuncture. I swear it reset everything in my body last weekend and took away my pain.
I adore the rest day.
I slept in yesterday to 6:45, waking up with no alarm clock. It was glorious!