As winter break rapidly approaches, many of us find ourselves and our children caught in the whirlwind of excitement anticipating the holidays, time away from school, or both. This lends an energetic buzz to our classrooms, to say the least! One way to channel that energy into positive interactions and productive work time is to introduce any new form of centering work and invite children to practice this new skill in the week ahead.
This season, consider the unique opportunity to bring the importance of rest into your classroom discussions. Teaching children about the value of rest—whether it’s physical, mental, social, or creative—can help create a calmer, more focused environment amid the pre-vacation chaos. By modeling and fostering an understanding of rest, we not only support our own well-being but also provide our students with tools for lifelong balance.
An Adult Understanding of Rest and Relaxation
We all know that R&R contributes to our positive mental outlook, energy, and mental acuity. Newer research finds a strong correlation between rest and longevity, immunological strength, metabolism, memory, and a host of other important elements. Current research suggests that 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night are optimal for most adults. Binge sleeping on the weekends does not have the same health benefits. And yet, sleep is only one form of rest!
Recent research says that there are at least seven different types of rest that we all need. Getting the type of rest that we most need is important! We need to refill the jug that is running low. Pouring into an already-filled jug is worse than useless; it is wasteful — the resources that we poured into that already-filled jug could have been spent effectively elsewhere!
Types of Rest
Below is one way of describing different types of rest. As you read these, be aware of any feelings of longing or urgency that arise – these may be an important signal that you have stumbled upon something that you need most!
- Physical Rest: this is most people’s go-to form of rest. Satisfy the need for physical rest passively with sleep or actively with a restorative activity such as yoga, a leisurely stroll, savoring a warm or cool drink, taking a bath, or getting a massage.
- Mental Rest: conventional wisdom says that taking short breaks every two hours to change your mental focus allows the brain to calm. Others find that, since the natural rhythm of the brain’s working memory is about 20 minutes, it is more helpful to work within that rhythm. This short break can be as little as 2 minutes! Whenever you change your mental focus, try adding a change in visual focus – look off to the horizon if possible. For those who find it difficult to get mental rest when falling asleep, experts suggest keeping a bedside notepad to jot down the thoughts that are nagging at you – set it and forget it until tomorrow.
- Sensory Rest: our days can be peppered by a cacophony of sensory stimuli: bright lights, background noise, multiple conversations, screen time, and sometimes physical touch because of sharing close quarters. Counteract these by intentional moments of sensory deprivation. Step outside for a few moments or cover your closed eyes to simulate a darkened space. At home, commit to going screen-free an hour before bedtime.
- Creative Rest: this can be quite important when days are filled with brainstorming and minute-to-minute problem-solving. The antidote is awe. Reawaken awe through soaking in the creations or discoveries of others: nature, art, mathematics/geometry, poetry, the cosmos … whatever inspires awe in you.
- Emotional Rest: days that are filled with people pleasing or with being a source of support for others can make us feel unheard and sometimes underappreciated at the end of the day. Emotional rest can be attained by finding someone who allows us to freely express our feelings without trying to solve our problems for or with us if we are willing to be vulnerable enough to share these intimate moments.
- Social Rest: we are social beings by nature. Whether we tend towards introversion (renewing ourselves with quiet time) or extroversion (renewing ourselves by interacting with others), we need some amount of personal contact that has more to do with who we are than with what we do. When we feed the relationships that revive us, we meter down the energy we give to those that exhaust us.
- Spiritual Rest: most of the day-to-day demands of teaching require a great deal of detailed, focused attention. We spend most of our days “in the weeds”. Spiritual rest connects us to things beyond the physical and mental, things bigger than us and our daily duties. It puts us back in proper perspective and leads to feelings of belonging and purpose. Prayer, meditation, and community service are three ways to seek spiritual peace.
Some of us hold the mistaken belief that spending time resting is stealing from time that we could otherwise use productively. Satisfying a need for rest may feel self-indulgent at first. It is not! It makes us more effective and more productive.
Bringing the Discussion to the Children
To bring this topic to the children, pare back the content. Choose three or four types of rest that you think, based on observing your children, would be most beneficial. For the sake of argument, let’s choose physical, mental, and social rest.
If you had conversations with the children earlier in the year about the difference between work and rest, tapping back into that discussion may be a very effective way to begin the conversation. Then, describe each of the 3-4 types of rest that you have chosen for your children using examples that they can relate to. Include what might create the need for that type of rest and how each type might manifest in the classroom. For example:
- Physical rest is a good way to recover from a big physical effort like activities that we find at recess or PE. But we can also need physical rest from sitting for too long when our body wants to move or from not having slept well the night before. One way to satisfy the need for physical rest is by sleeping. But it can be just as effective (or more) to meet the need for physical rest with an activity like a leisurely walk, yoga, reading for pleasure, or having snack – with or without a friend. What ideas do you have for meeting the need for physical rest in our classroom?
- Mental rest is a good way to recover from a big intellectual effort. Maybe you have just done a big work or something that requires a lot of concentration, and you feel like your brain is tired. Give your tired brain a rest by working with clay or other art supplies, doing practical life activities, or even looking out the window for a few minutes. What ideas do you have for meeting the need for mental rest in our classroom?
- Social rest is something that we don’t often think or talk about. We have an authentic need to interact with one another – humans are social beings. It is also true that we can sometimes feel exhausted or overwhelmed by social interactions – too many people, too much time spent in conversation, or just plain too much sound. Some of the same things that help with physical rest can address social fatigue. But another way is to shut down as many sensory stimuli as you can for a few minutes. Find a quiet place away from others. Close your eyes and listen to the sound of your breath. What ideas do you have for meeting the need for social rest in our classroom?
Of course, with all of this talk about rest, it will be important to help children remember that the purpose of coming to school is to learn things, so we want to spend significantly more time at work than at rest. Or as the old adage goes, “Rest is not idleness, it is preparation for further labor.”
It can be fun and enlightening to create three tokens that symbolize each of the three types of rest. When children are at rest, they display that token. This helps make rest a more mindful choice and can help other children respectfully support one another’s choices. “Let’s not disturb Leah right now – she is practicing social rest.”
It also gives us another way to talk to children about their choice of activity. “Are you working or resting right now? What kind of work are you resting from? What kind of rest are you engaging in right now?”
All of this will reap the long-term benefits of giving the children life-long tools for achieving balance in their daily lives.
Reflection for Adults
What form of rest most spoke to you as you read their descriptions?
Can you see what activity in your daily life created that need?
How can you focus on this particular type of rest during the upcoming break?
How can you create a tailored 2-3 minute recharge for yourself in the classroom this week before winter break begins – even if you have to hide out in a closet for a minute to do it?
Reflection for Children
What kind of rest do you most often choose during the day at school? What does that look like?
Do you authentically feel refreshed after a few minutes of that activity (or inactivity)?
Is it possible that you sometimes default to a rest-activity that isn’t helping as much as you hoped? What new kinds of rest do you want to experiment with this week?
As important as it is to have a plan for doing work, it is perhaps more important to have a plan for rest, relaxation, self-care, and sleep. ― Akiroq Brost, Clarity Coach