At one time, rest meant lying down and not doing anything. Lying down, going on for a walk, reading a book or just gazing out a window might be sufficient to refresh. Doing nothing, however, is challenging nowadays. When we have some spare time, many of us look at our phones, social media, video or notifications.
It’s possible for us to be sitting down, but our minds are not. The day can feel like it’s a straight line from study to work, to scroll, to reply to messages, to consume information. For students and young professionals, the day can become a continuous line of study, work, scroll, reply, consume information. The use of technology makes it difficult to set aside silence because we are so used to being connected all the time, even when there’s no real need.
This continuous stimulation presents a significant question: “Is this rest?” People who are constantly shifting from work or school to hours of social media continue to get a steady dose of fresh content
Social media is about moving attention. There is a video that leads to another and a message that encourages a response, a notification that makes the urge to look at the screen. All these activities are not inherently tiring at the time but can be even more challenging to unplug when done as a group.
The issue is more noticeable during the night. People often like to spend several minutes scrolling on their phones before going to sleep but come back up to several hours later. The next morning comes with mournful fatigue, and the chain is repeated.
When it comes to academic assignments, jobs and social obligations, for young people, relaxation can often be forgotten.
There are differences between distraction and rest too. Several hours of short videos can distract from work, but not necessarily from the sort of quiet healing the brain requires. Instead, rest can include activities which can help the mind to slow down without constant stimulation.
A break can be a blissful one that doesn’t involve the phone, listening to music, spending time with family, reading, drawing, gardening or just sitting somewhere peaceful. It is not a matter of removing technology but rather establishing opportunities for technology to not be the focus of our attention.
One of the hardest things to do is to learn how to sit and be quiet once again. It can be uncomfortable at first to spend a few minutes without a screen, but it can be beneficial. It provides the mind with some time to pause before filling in every empty moment with information.
The world is a modern one, and keeping in touch is easier than ever. Constant connectivity is not constant availability to anything. But sometimes, the healthiest thing we can do is just take a break. If our bodies are resting and our minds are still going, maybe we’re not actually as at rest as we would like to believe.
