Stress Less, Smile More: Simple R.E.S.T. Techniques for Finding Your Calm
Introduction
These days things seem more hectic than ever, and that’s true no matter when “these days” are. Stress has become a constant companion for many people. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 75% of adults report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress, and almost half state that their stress levels have increased over the past five years. The World Health Organization also recognizes stress as the health epidemic of the 21st century. These statistics highlight the urgent need for effective ways to manage stress and improve overall well-being. And yet it can be difficult to remember and integrate complex new self-care routines, which can actually lead to more stress! So what do we do?
One promising approach is a set of practices I’ve been teaching recently as “Relaxation and R.E.S.T.” This method puts a twist on the familiar phrase “Rest and Relaxation”, or “R & R”, by emphasizing relaxation as the starting point. Beginning each day with a few moments or minutes of some relaxing meditative practice you enjoy, such as using TRIPP VR, helps to calm the mind and body. Just relax and enjoy it with no goal.
Following this initial relaxation, we can move through the R.E.S.T. practices:
- Reflect
- Embody
- Set Intentions
- Thankfulness
This simple, memorable acronym represents a scalable set of practices that can be integrated into our daily routines to not only help us in any given moment, but can provide a beneficial structure to our days, and ultimately help us cultivate a deep and meaningful practice for our busy lives.
By creating an easy-to-remember cycle of routine practice, we can move through these steps each day, whether in moments, across days, or over a lifetime. This holistic approach helps in cultivating mindfulness, compassion, and a deeper sense of connection to oneself and others.
R – Reflect
The Importance of Reflection
Reflection is the first step in the R.E.S.T. cycle. It involves taking the time to consider past actions, the current state of mind, and future intentions. Reflection interrupts habitual behavior and combines mindfulness and awareness enabling us to understand our thoughts and behaviors better.
Practical Tips for Incorporating Reflection
- Morning Reflection: Begin the day with a few minutes of quiet contemplation. Reflect on the previous day’s actions, noting what went well and what could be realigned. Consider how you feel in the present moment and set a mindful tone for the day ahead.
- Evening Reflection: End the day with a reflective practice. Think about the day’s events, your reactions, and the intentions you set in the morning. This can be done through journaling or simply sitting in quiet contemplation.
- Moment-to-Moment Reflection: Throughout the day, take brief pauses to reflect on your actions and thoughts. This can help in maintaining mindfulness and making intentional choices.
E – Embody
Living the Teachings
Embodying the teachings means putting intentions into action. It involves living with purpose, maintaining a mindful presence, and engaging in compassionate actions. By embodying the principles of the R.E.S.T. practices, we can bring a sense of authenticity and integrity to our daily lives. After reflecting on our experience and our intentions we can move out into our day and act on them with compassion for all whom we might encounter.
Practical Tips for Embodying Intentions
- Mindful Actions: Be deliberate in your actions. Whether it’s speaking kindly to a stranger, helping a colleague, or simply being present with loved ones, make an effort to embody the values you wish to cultivate. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress!
- Consistent Practice: Regularly practice mindfulness and compassion. This could be through formal meditation sessions or by integrating these values into everyday activities. Mindful steps on a quick work break, deep listening to a friend, or giving yourself a brief meditation in the park.
- Reflection in Action: Use reflection to guide your actions. For example, before responding to a stressful situation, take a moment to reflect on your intentions and choose a response that aligns with your values, then take that first step to embody it as an action.
S – Set Intentions
Setting Wise Intentions
Setting intentions is about making conscious choices, informed by your wisdom, to guide your actions. And before you start second guessing your wisdom, wise intentions are rooted in the principles of letting go of clinging, goodwill, and of harmlessness as informed by your experience. Once again, it’s about progress, not perfection. These intentions help steer actions in a positive direction, moving us toward personal growth and well-being.
Practical Tips for Setting Intentions
- Morning Intentions: Each morning, set clear, positive intentions for the day. This could include being patient, practicing kindness, or focusing on gratitude.
- Review and Adjust: Regularly review your intentions and adjust them as needed. This keeps your actions aligned with your goals and values, as well as letting go of what’s not working and course-correcting with what will.
- Mindful Planning: Plan your day with mindfulness. Consider the impact of your actions on yourself and others, and strive to make choices that promote compassion and well-being.
T – Thankfulness
Practicing Gratitude
Thankfulness, or gratitude, is the final step in the R.E.S.T. cycle. Practicing gratitude has been well-documented as having numerous benefits for personal well-being and social harmony. It cultivates a positive outlook, enhances relationships, and promotes a sense of connectedness. Ultimately all of these R.E.S.T. practices incline our hearts and minds in the direction of kindness and compassion.
Practical Tips for Integrating Gratitude
- Gratitude Journal: Keep a gratitude journal where you regularly write down things you are thankful for. This can help cultivate a habit of recognizing and appreciating positive experiences. As you grow your gratitude practice, you’ll begin to realize that even many of our sorrows lead to joy and gratitude. It’s not about avoiding or ignoring life’s challenges, but rather it’s about acknowledging those, while also making the effort to look for the many joys in every moment. They’re there if we look!
- Reflect on Positive Experiences: Take time each day to reflect on moments that brought joy or peace. Snap a picture of a beautiful sight, nurture the good feeling of someone complimenting you or you complimenting them, or just be grateful for the breath in your lungs. This can be done during evening reflection or at any quiet moment.
- Express Gratitude: Make a habit of expressing gratitude to others. This could be through words, notes, or small acts of kindness.
Incorporating R.E.S.T. into Daily Life
One of the great benefits of this set of practices is the mnemonic or acronym (R.E.S.T.) that makes it easy to remember. Another great aspect is that you can do the whole practice in a moment, or parts of your day, and as a lifetime practice. “Relaxation and R.E.S.T.” can be an approach to your lifelong cultivation of a harmonious lifestyle practice, and you can start each day with a brief relaxation period, followed by some reflection on yesterday’s intentions, what you feel in this moment, and how you intend to embody the practices today. Then you can practice embodying those intentions during your day, with some time in the evening to meditate and reflect again on how the day went, how you’re doing, and the setting of some intentions you’d like to embody tomorrow, followed by some thankfulness practice. And, in any given moment of pause, you can do all of these things in the blink of an eye by simply pausing for a moment of relaxation and then:
- Reflect on what led to your current feeling, how it feels now, and what you intend to do with that.
- Embody that intention in this moment.
- Set the intention you wish to embody going forward.
- Thank everyone and everything that you feel connected to or grateful for in this moment.
All of that can be done in a few breaths!
For further guidance, check out the linked audio-guided meditation available with this blog post. This R.E.S.T. guided audio is also in TRIPP Mobile. It can help you establish a consistent routine and deepen your experience with this helpful set of practices. If you would like to take a deeper dive into each practice individually, I offered a series of talks and meditations in the Together with TRIPP community in Virtual Reality and those audio recordings can be found at the links below:
The R.E.S.T. practices offer a simple, yet potentially transformational framework for achieving peace and lasting happiness. By incorporating these practices into daily routines, we can cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and a deeper sense of connection. These transformative practices not only enhance our own well-being but also positively impact the lives of those around us. Start your journey with R.E.S.T. today and experience the meaningful benefits of relaxation and mindful living.
If you enjoyed George’s R.E.S.T. technique, you can listen to his corresponding guided meditation here:
