Rest until you feel like playing, then play until you feel like resting.

Martha Beck - Born November 29, 1962,

This morning I was speaking to a friend who is in convalescence after an operation.

I was offering to take them out for a walk as they have been cooped up for a week, instructed not to move or lift more than 2kgs.

They were telling me about how lazy they had been and that they had to lift their 8-kilo dog up the stairs after it had run away.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that you are doing stupid things, without consideration for the long-term consequences?

We live in a culture that measures worth by output, but nature measures vitality by rhythm. Seasons change, tides rise and fall, and even the strongest athletes know that rest isn’t a pause in progress; it’s part of the cycle that makes progress possible.

Rest is not just for recovery. It’s for rebuilding. When you step back, your body repairs, your mind declutters, and your spirit recalibrates. Without rest, effort turns into erosion.

High performers use words like lazy to describe themselves during periods of rest.

Every person I know who has had an operation and done the rehab they were prescribed, I know as strong and healthy.

Every person I know who decided that the experts they paid a lot of money to, for operations of correction and repair, were speaking in gibberish when prescribing a rehab program. Hence, they ignored it or didn’t do it as instructed, and are still impaired in some way.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that you question where you are pushing past your mind or body’s signals to slow down?

Here are 8 scientifically supported benefits of rest for both mind and body:

1. Muscle Repair and Growth
During rest, especially deep sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which stimulates tissue repair, muscle growth, and recovery from training stress. Without adequate rest, microtears in muscles remain unrepaired, limiting strength and performance gains.

2. Reduced Inflammation
Research shows that chronic sleep deprivation and lack of rest can elevate inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP). Adequate rest reduces systemic inflammation, which protects against cardiovascular disease, arthritis flare-ups, and other inflammatory conditions.

3. Enhanced Cognitive Function
The brain consolidates memories and processes information during periods of rest and sleep. Studies using functional MRI show that rest boosts problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making by allowing the brain’s default mode network (DMN) to activate.

4. Hormonal Balance
Rest helps regulate hormones like cortisol (stress), leptin and ghrelin (hunger), and insulin (blood sugar). Disrupted rest patterns can lead to weight gain, mood swings, and metabolic disorders.

5. Improved Immune Function
Research from the University of California has found that people who consistently sleep fewer than 7 hours are nearly 3 times more likely to catch a cold compared to those who sleep 8 or more. Rest supports the production of cytokines, essential for immune defence.

6. Better Emotional Regulation
Neuroscience studies show that lack of rest amplifies activity in the amygdala (the brain’s emotional centre) while reducing regulation from the prefrontal cortex. Adequate rest improves emotional stability and stress resilience.

7. Energy Restoration and Mitochondrial Health
Rest restores ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy currency of cells. Without proper rest, mitochondrial efficiency decreases, leading to fatigue and reduced physical performance.

8. Injury Prevention
Athletic studies confirm that overtraining without rest significantly increases the risk of strains, sprains, and stress fractures. Rest days allow the musculoskeletal system to recover, improving coordination and reducing accident risk.

If you scheduled rest with the same seriousness as a business meeting, you would add more to your calendar this week, by doing less.

Going to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep, while taking away from your hours before midnight, will add to the hours of your morning.

One small ritual, such as a walk, a nap, a stretch, or quiet reading, could be your signal to your mind and body that you respect them enough to plan time to restore.

While you’re thinking about that, think about this and have a GR8 day!

Be well,
DL

“Fatigue is the common enemy of all of us. So, slow down, rest when you can, and don’t quit."
Sir William Osler - 1849 -1919.