3 questions to bring more social rest into your life
Rest is so much more than just sleep (though sleep is like really really important). We love using the Seven Types of Rest framework to explore our options when our clients say, “I'm getting solid sleep but my battery isn't recharging.”
So, what is social rest? Canceling my plans, putting on my pjs, and curling up with the Housewives?
Well, no…though all of this sounds really really important and we definitely endorse this journey for you.
Social rest comes when you spend time with the people in your life that make it feel effortless. The people who make you feel safe to show up 100% authentically. When you're with these people, you don't feel like you need to perform or put on a happy face - you can just be, with all of your ups and downs and messiness.
So, how can I tell in the moment if I'm getting that social rest?
Check in with yourself using these three questions:
COUNT YOUR ENERGY TOKENS.
1 | What's my energy level before and after this interaction?
We only have so many energy tokens available to us each day. How energized are you going into spending time with this person, and how do you feel afterward - have you spent more tokens than you intended, or does your cute little energy coin purse overfloweth?
CHECK IN WITH YOUR BOD.
2 | How’s my breathing, and what are my muscles doing?
How hard am I working here in this conversation? Breathing and muscle tension can give you important clues into whether you're just being or whether you feel like you're preforming. Is your breathing deep and slow, or shallow and quick? Are your muscles relaxed or tense? Just notice - as always, trying not to judge yourself either way.
TUNE INTO YOUR SELF.
3 | Which parts of myself are showing up here?
Our personalities are so wonderfully rich and complex, and it's totally natural for different parts of ourselves to step out to the forefront in different situations and with different people. Some parts of ourselves are more pleasant to us, some less pleasant, but they all have a place and serve important roles for us. Which parts of you are emerging here, and how is that sitting with you?
