Solitude, Rest, Meditation and Wellness
If you’re an introvert like me, you’ll understand the importance of being alone to recharge your batteries. I love being social, meeting people, running workshops and retreats, and dancing, but when it’s all over, I need alone time to rest and rejuvenate.
Even if you’re not an introvert, research suggests that being alone is conducive to resting. Hubbub surveyed 18,000 people in 134 countries, and found that being alone was the number 3 most restful activity. The number 1 activity was reading, which is also often carried out alone. Number 2 was being outside in nature, which is proven to be good for you.
Back to being alone – it turns out that women and millennials chose this option most frequently. The Hubbub study also showed that young people and men preferred listening to music, which came in at number 4, while number 5 was doing nothing in particular, which led to guilt in the 31-45 age bracket – any workaholics out there?
If you have a meditation habit like me, you might find that you feel rested and energized after your meditations. I do transcendental meditation for twenty minutes twice per day, and often emerge from those sessions feeling like I’ve just had a deep, restful nap. Interestingly, meditation appeared at number 10 on the list, perhaps because many of us don’t do it.
How much rest is enough? The Hubbub study showed a peak of 5-6 hours, which is proving true for me these days. Although after more than a week away facilitating career manifestation retreats, I slept in and experienced very high productivity.
The bottom line in all this, of course, is to achieve an optimal level of wellness. Wellness forms the foundation for all we do, whether it’s work or play. When we’re healthy, we perform more productively at work, have better relationships, and have a better outlook on life. In a climate-disrupted world where our every life-affirming action counts, wellness is the key to driving sustained behavior change.
Combining 3 of the top 5 ways of resting: being alone, in nature, meditating. Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is essential for productive work and fun play.