Podcast Notes

Podcast Summary – The Art of Rest

This the summary of Google Talk with Claudia Hammond. She discusses her book “Art of Rest” and shares some valuable advice.

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Difference between rest and sleep, why is that important?

Rest is something we do when we are awake. We all know the importance of sleep in our health. On the other hand, rest is undervalued, but it is as important as sleep.

Rest could be something that is active like running or it could be something passive like laying down.

A good rest is balanced between rest and activity. As well as lots of activity and work, lots of rest is also harmful to you. So the key is to find the right balance.

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Why do we feel restless?

People are overwhelmed with the amount of work to do and always feel like they need to do something even when they are resting. We feel like being busy is better and we also think that busty people are doing better in their life. We think that we should be busy and feel guilty if we are not busy.

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How do we get better at rest?

First, we need to appreciate why the rest is good for you. Lots of studies confirm that rest improves people’s memory and concentration.

Microbreaks, that is one or two minutes breaks, every hour, improves attention and concentration.

So the key to good rest is to know that rest is something we need to perform better in our daily activities and we shouldn’t feel guilty. Because rest is good for your mental health.

Add the rest to your schedule. Find an activity that you enjoy, such as gardening, reading, walking, or just sitting without technology.

Reading allows us to escape from our own thoughts. It allows us to imagine the characters and

the scenes.

Rest has to be intentional and not by force.

Accept the fact that your to-do list will never end.

5 to 6 hours of rest a day is the ideal time period for resting. Every little restful activity adds up. Such as listening to music that you like, walking and in nature, or even looking at nature pictures.

Physical activities help your mind rest. Although you might feel physically tired, your mind won’t wander off the negative thoughts.

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How do you change?

We all have things we would like to change about ourselves. Some would like to be confident, some would like to be calmer, some would like to be more patient … So no matter what it is you want to change, the truth is, change doesn’t change how you feel.

People always tend to say “I have to change my self, I have to get out of this old habit and get into the habit that I desire”. So they try to get into the new habit they would like to adapt and unfortunately they end up failing and also have to deal with the frustration of failing to change.

So how can a person change themselves? The answer to this question is not to change. The real change happens, when you become aware of what is happening inside of you. Once you are aware of your thoughts that you will make more rational decisions. You want to be happy? Be aware of the thoughts that makes your feel unhappy. What are they, what do they tell you to make you feel unhappy. You want to calmer? Recognize the thoughts that makes you feel uneasy. What do these thoughts tell you that make you feel uneasy?

Start with a gratitude

I talk little, but observe a lot. I sleep little and move a lot. I read a lot, but write little. So I decided to start this blog to write about anything that pops into my mind (OK, maybe not anything). I always wanted to get into writing, so this blog will give me perfect opportunity to reflect.

I want to record, what I’ve learned and what I’ve experienced, so maybe in the future my children can benefit and learn from them as well.

I wanted to start my first blog post with gratitude. Gratitude is the best tool to master, if you are seeking happiness. Without gratitude, happiness will be out of reach. Your life will not be fulfilled and you will never be able to experience contentment. Once you can acknowledge the good things in your life and be grateful for them, then you won’t have to worry about future and the past. This is what I want my life to be and hopefully my kids’ as well.

So let me start my first blog post by saying, I am grateful to finally start my blog and share my thoughts. I am grateful to have the courage to start something I wanted to do for a while.