Even when you know the negative effects of working too hard for too long without a break, it can be difficult to break a cycle of overwork and learn to make space to rest. Sometimes this can just be related to trying to do too much, but if your lack of rest is related to something like trying to cope with a trauma by over-“doing” yourself to the point of exhaustion, a change may be needed higher mentality.

Whether or not you’re healing something on a deeper level, the lack of recovery time can make it difficult for the mind and body to recharge, leading to disruptions in physical and mental functioning.

Here, experts talk about how to spot the signs our bodies are sending us and what to do to promote healing now and build resilience for the long term.

How the mind and body work together

Holocaust survivor, New York Times bestselling author, winner of the National Jewish Book Award and psychologist specializing in trauma, Edith Eva Eger, Phis the author Ballerina from Auschwitza young adult memoir in which she shares her experience of surviving the camp and then returning home wracked with pain and guilt, but realizing that she can choose to live and experience joy again.

“I realized my limitations,” says Dr. Eger. “I only have so much power outside of me, but (the Nazis) could never touch my spirit. And I think that helped me a lot.”

Jennifer Mann is a mind-body practitioner, yoga instructor and functional movement therapist,

and struggled with severe chronic fatigue. Co-author of the book In THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE BODYshe now supports others to heal their nervous systems using trauma-informed mind-body healing modalities that have been an important part of her own recovery journey.

“When you take the mind, the thoughts, the emotions, the memory, the brain trauma, and separate it from the experience of the body, and you look at the body as a robot of parts and the mind as its own machine, it’s very difficult to heal those. processes that are so interconnected,” explains Mann.

Calming the body can help calm the mind—and vice versa, she adds. “Mind and body are one through the mind-body connection, and the mind-body connection is the brain and nervous system. And our brains and bodies are constantly talking to each other. We are alive because we have a nervous system. The element of connecting our mind, our thoughts and our body really allows us to go deep into the root of what is causing these more complex mind body disorders and really go to the root of some. of unresolved trauma responses occurring in the body.”

Ashley Neese, author, mother, editor of The deeper callsays, “When we neglect to prioritize rest, it can lead to burnout, affecting our decision-making, health and creativity in our work lives. Personally, it strains relationships, diminishes emotional resilience, and harms general well-being.”

Don’t miss the signs

Some indicators that you need rest may include (but are not limited to):

• You are always exhausted. Persistent fatigue, even when you’ve had “enough” sleep, is a big red flag.
• Focusing problems. If you feel like you just can’t focus on tasks or conversations, or find that you just aren’t retaining information the way you normally do, it could be a sign that you need a break.
• Your immune system is shot. If you get sick all the time or don’t heal as quickly as you used to, if you have a cut or injury, it can also indicate that you are burned.
• Your mood is all over the place. Although mood swings can be related to a number of things, when you notice that mood swings start to feel like the norm, your body may be trying to get your attention through your emotions.

You officially need rest. now what?

Identifying that you need to rest is one thing, but doing something with that information is another.

Awareness is an important first step, says Mann. “It helps you learn the body language messages, which is to learn to listen and tune in to your sensations, emotions and heart, heartbeat, breath feelings and really learn what they mean and how they translate into a pattern that it might be comfortable or not.”

From there, she says, you can begin to interrupt those patterns as they arise and then reengineer new patterns that better support mind-body well-being.

“Calm begins, really begins in the body,” says Mann, “when a sense of safety is felt in the body. And when the sense of safety felt is achieved through different techniques either through awareness, interruption, redesign or the support of a therapist or doing more of what you like or putting the work you know is not good for you or saying no more often when you’ve said yes and you’re so tired or you slow down to do the things that are good for you and you start to feel safe in your body, then you’re really calm on a physiological level.”

To start building more calming practices into your day, Neese recommends, “Start by incorporating small moments of awareness, like deep breathing or short screen breaks, throughout the day to reset yourself. Establish a consistent rest practice, such as a weekly nature walk, and set boundaries around work to create space for relaxation and rest.”

If you feel a little weird at first, she adds, you’re not alone. “Resting often feels uncomfortable at first, especially if you’re used to a fast-paced lifestyle or constant productivity. However, the benefits of emotional regulation, deeper connection to nature and community, and overall well-being make this a rewarding practice worth cultivating.”

Building long-term resilience

While it would be great if doing the healing and rejuvenation work once done did the trick, the reality is that life and work come with challenges, and it’s critical that we focus on how we can build long-term resilience.

Dr. Eger reflects on her time at the camp and how it influenced her experience when she later came to the United States. “The Nazis wouldn’t really be cruel to us, and sometimes our people were crueler than the Nazis. I worked in a factory and we had to cut thread and that was actually the thing I did when I came to America. I worked in a factory cutting threads for small shirts. So I was experienced from the camp. I think it was all an opportunity to discover jobs that we didn’t think we would have. I think it was really important for us not to get into this ‘us and them’ and not be idealistic, but to be more good people living in the present while hoping for the best to come. For me, that actually included a lot of praying for enemies.”

She adds, “They controlled many, many things, but they could never take away my dreams, my hopes, and how I give that hope.” She shares that in the future, when challenges arose, she remembered, “This is temporary and I can survive.”

While basics like sunlight, time in nature, sleep and setting boundaries are important, Mann says, it’s also incredibly powerful to do more of what we love. “When we know what those things are, just making sure that we implement them throughout our day and really take the time to give our bodies that kindness so that they have time and space to be in harmony and to help us. travel.”