Friday, November 11, 2011

Rest And Relaxation - That Good Ole Fashioned R&R

By Dana McLean


Admit it, you lead a busy life that seems to get busier with each passing day. Nowadays it is common for the average professional to juggle work, the kids, adult studies (yes, that too) and other commitments with precious little time to unwind. So what's to do if one needs some rest and relaxation? With that in mind, you will want to get enough rest as part of your healthy living regimen, as an adequate amount of rest would protect your immune system and act as a preventative measure against illnesses and diseases.

Side Effects of Not Getting Enough Rest

To guarantee that the body keeps performing at its optimum level, enough rest is needed. Depending on the individual, a person may need more or less than seven to eight hours of sleep, but this is usually the accepted number of hours of sleep needed to recharge the body and give it enough reserves to handle the typical busy day. It is a sad reality, though, that many individuals do not see things that way, preferring to sleep for a shorter time than they should in order to cram more activities into their schedule. With the body lacking sleep, the immune system weakens and the body becomes an open playground for viruses and germs to frolic in, leading to diseases, or at the very least, a general feeling of fatigue and/or malaise. Then, the individual gets sick and misses days or even weeks of all of those important activities. But if you get enough rest, this allows your body to run like an engine with all cylinders firing, as your immune system wards off these nasty diseases with equal ease and authority.

Moreover, it is common for people who do not get enough rest to have a hard time maintaining focus or a clear state of mind - this may even lead to a dread case of "Swiss cheese memory." You may not be even aware that this is the case, and just laugh it off as a result of your hectic schedule, but you will notice the "holes" in your mental "Swiss cheese" growing bigger as you keep missing out on quality rest.

Last, but not the least, a lack of rest and relaxation could turn you into the death of the party, so to say. It is a scientific fact that when individuals miss out on good nightly rest their personality is affected and they are generally more grumpy, less patient, and snap easier. You don't want to be notorious among your circle of friends, or especially your family, as that person who snarls "what's so good about the morning" when greeted with a cheerful "good morning!" to start the day.

Think not once but twice, thrice or multiple times for that matter before earmarking the evening for a night of merriment, or a night of backbreaking work. Of course, one night is not going to hurt you, but night after night of not getting enough rest really will.




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