Mental rest: what is it and what are the signs that you need it?

Disconnecting from daily stress and reconnecting with yourself during the holidays is essential for regaining your body-mind balance.

Irritability, moodiness, mental and physical fatigue, trouble concentrating or falling asleep, lack of energy… These are some of the most common signs that your mind needs a rest. Like the body after a workout, the brain also needs to rest in order to recover and function at its best. And the summer holidays are the perfect time to do just that.

As Cinthya Molina, psychologist at SHA Wellness Clinic, tells us, “mental rest means disconnecting from the external environment to connect with the internal one. To do this, we have to silence the mental noise and stop jumping from one thought to another. That way, we can come down to earth and reconnect with what is basic and fundamental, that is, with ourselves”. But the theory is simpler than the practice because today’s lifestyle, in which everything is urgent and immediate, takes us in just the opposite direction and 24 hours a day doesn’t seem enough to meet all our obligations. “Mental rest is essential because we live in a world in which we are over-stimulated by a frenetic pace of work, along with the various personal, domestic, family and social responsibilities. It is therefore very important to take a little time to listen to yourself and be alone with your thoughts”, adds Cinthya.

The problem is that we hardly ever have that free time to reconnect with our inner selves. And this, as the expert affirms, “causes us to constantly feel on the verge of ‘collapse’ and that we can’t get to everything we have to do like we’d like to. This is verbalised in phrases such as ‘I can’t take it anymore’ or ‘I’m always exhausted’, which indicate that you need a mental break”. Disconnecting does not mean to leave the mind blank, which is really hard to do, but to focus all your attention on the present moment and stop thinking about what you’ve already done and still have to do.

At SHA, we know that achieving a good mental rest depends on multiple factors. That is why we approach the problem from a holistic point of view that combines different therapies and medical areas, starting with nutrition. Thus, a diet rich in refined sugars, animal fats and ultra-processed foods causes emotional ups and downs and mental fog and confusion. Cinthya recommends “taking advantage of the summer holidays to get away from technology, do some moderate physical activity and maintain proper sleep hygiene. In addition, the most effective way to connect with yourself and focus on the present moment is to practice mindfulness disciplines such as yoga, meditation or conscious breathing. By following these guidelines, you will immediately notice benefits in both the physical and emotional spheres, resulting in greater mental clarity and better emotional management. You will also increase your sense of self-efficacy in everything you do, leading to an increase in self-esteem and personal satisfaction”.

To find out more about SHA’s mind-body disciplines, Click here