058: Refresh and Refocus: Strategies for Your Busy Days

In this episode, Carly talks about the importance of rest, especially during menopause, and how listening to your body can support bone health and overall wellness.

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Transcript

Carly: 0:37

Hello, and welcome back to the Strong Bones Coach podcast. I'm Carly, and today we are looking at a topic that is often not given the spotlight it deserves, and that is rest. So, as we know, we are entering a time of year where we might be invited with the slightly darker times to reflect. on what's been going on so far this year, and also to take some rest ready for a new year in the months to come, at least in the Northern Hemisphere anyway. So, this has also been driven, or inspired, today Uh, by the fact that I've caught one of those autumn illnesses that's currently circulating and I've had to take some unexpected downtime, much to my frustration, especially as it came, of course, at the most inconvenient time as these things often do, meaning that I had to miss out on a few things. I was preparing for a workshop and an in person attendance, which I was really looking forward to. But it really does bring home how important it is to rest, especially as we move through midlife. Of course, when we're not well, perhaps when we know we just can't fire on all cylinders, sometimes we have to make that decision as to what we are actually ready to do and what we're actually able and capable of doing on a particular day. day or at a particular time. So this episode is all about listening to our bodies, embracing the power of rest and understanding how this can support us both during menopause and also how it can support our bone health. I'm going to talk to you about why rest is essential, especially as we navigate those hormonal changes and how listening to our bodies can make us stronger in the long run. So that's right, rest isn't just something we need to be made to do. And I promise you, this is something I have to often remind myself. Of, I'm certainly a recovering, perfectionist, recovering workaholic. I no longer wear the busy like a badge, but I definitely used to do. So, let's get started. Hopefully, if you relate to this, keep listening and I hope you find some support from this today. So let's start with why rest is crucial, particularly at our stage of life. Well, as you may know, if you are a regular listener, during our menopause, we experience our shifts in hormones, our oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and these all play different parts. in our energy levels and how our bodies function. Now usually, up until our perimenopause years, these work together in a beautiful symphony alongside other hormones within our body, within our endocrine system that basically knows how to manage all of these things, balance them out in ways that support what our bodies need at any given time. But as we know, throughout perimenopause onwards, these start to change. And this doesn't just impact our mood or our energy, it does also have a role to play in bone health, muscle recovery, and even our immune systems. So, as we know, oestrogen has the anti inflammatory protective effect and it also means that it makes our bones easier to replace themselves. So we're always in that constant turnover of breakdown and rebuilding. But when we start to see our oestrogen drop, our bones can weaken, leading to higher risk of osteoporosis. So it's important that we give ourselves extra support. through exercise to maintain our bone strength. But, if we're not resting, our bodies can't recover and build that strength as effectively. So, as much as the stress on our muscles and bones is important for keeping them in place, it's important that our body has time to do that rebuilding, especially as it doesn't have quite as much support from oestrogen as it used to do. Or at least not as consistent, depending on what stage you're at. So here's some reasons why rest has that significant role in your recovery. So of course we need to give ourselves time to recover, our bones, our muscles, and our immune system need that time to rebuild. I often say that strength is built in the rest. So when we undergo stress, that's important. stimulates change in our body, which is how we can start to build muscle. That's how we can start to allow our body to take on extra challenges. Sometimes we need to build our capacity so that we can grow stronger and more capable. But what's important is that we take time down from that because during that downtime is when we get to reflect and rebuild. And this becomes more critical during menopause because We can take that little bit longer to repair and restore than we did in our 20s and 30s. So rest not only allows our bones to heal, our muscles to strengthen. Which is why it's just as important as the exercise itself when it comes to your overall bone health. But if you are anything like me, you might feel that you've been conditioned to push through, even when you're feeling low. but here's the truth. Pushing through when your body is asking for rest can actually set us back. It's a bit like driving a car without stopping for fuel. We can take that planned stop off to restore. Or there will come a point where eventually we run out of fuel and end up stopping in a highly inconvenient place, which is kind of what happened to me just recently. But we live and learn and some things can't always be avoided. But of course, when we recognize those cues, we can take more control over our options, meaning we can care for ourselves that little bit better. So how do we recognize when your body is asking for rest? So this is where listening to your body becomes key. And again, this is something I've had to develop over many, many years. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, which I'm going to be a little bit proud of. As frustrating as it was to choose not to take part in some of the things I had going on this last week as a result of ill health, it was also frustrating because I know the old version of me would have showed up anyway. And I'd have pushed through, and I probably would have been all right, I say this in air quotes, but I know that there'd have been a longer term impact, perhaps I'd have got a worse illness weeks down the line, or I'd have just showed up not feeling that great, asking my body to just push that bit too much and wondered why I wasn't recovering as quickly as I would hope. So let's go through some examples of what we might see when our body is asking for rest. I'm going to start with physical exhaustion. So if you're feeling tired in a way that goes beyond the usual, or your muscles are feeling extra sore, that's often a signal. But I'd say this is probably quite an end point. If we're feeling exhausted, we've probably missed out on quite a few cues along the way. But I'm starting with this one because quite often this is the one we pay attention to. So that physical fatigue can mean that your body is low on energy and it needs that pause to repair. Of course if you notice a little sooner perhaps it's When you're doing your training in the gym, you notice that certain weights just feeling heavier than usual or perhaps you're feeling a little bit more tired on your walk or hoping that bedtime's coming a little sooner, then these can be some earlier cues. but your body's just trying to let you know, can we slow down a little bit. Next let's look at the mental side of things. So that brain fog, difficulty concentrating. Now this is an interesting one. So of course we have our changes in oestrogen again. There's estrogen receptors all over our body including our brain and as that starts to shift and dip we can end up finding ourselves feeling a little foggy headed, like decision making is difficult or perhaps we just can't quite concentrate. So this can be a sign that brain and body are fatigued. And this one can be quite difficult to listen to, especially if we're doing brain tasks, computer tasks, being at work. Perhaps you have the pressure from work because there are deadlines to meet. And you ever have those days, which I do, where you just can't seem to get anything done. We spend the hours on the laptop trying to Get these emails answered and done, or perhaps you're trying to write something. Sometimes it's me trying to figure out what I want to do for this podcast, and when we feel that foggy feeling, sometimes you don't want to stop, because it feels like if we just get this finished, then we can have a rest. However, I've learnt this the hard way, and from more recent experience, my advice in this situation Or perhaps invitation. I'm not here to tell you what to do, But when you do notice this, it's actually an invitation to perhaps take a little break. So whether it's 10 minutes away from the laptop to have a walk, some fresh air, maybe even just a mini meditation, eyes closed time. I like to listen to a guided meditation these situations, just so that I don't have my monkey mind sort of. Going off on one as I'm trying to have a quick rest. So, when you're in these situations, rather than trying to push through all the time, thinking I'll just get this done, because it ends up getting dragged out forever, just take that small rest. And I've personally found, after just these 5 10 minutes, I've been able to get a couple of hours of really decent work done. So, there is a little tip for you there. moving on, if we are feeling that bit more stressed, Then this can have an impact on our ability to cope with further stress, but also a sign that we might be needing a rest. I definitely feel a lot more irritable when I am due a rest or perhaps I've overextended myself for a little bit too long. So, high levels of stress or mood changes can also indicate we are overdue that rest. And this is because we're starting to run on empty after perhaps using some of that adrenaline. We can start to go into those cortisol levels rising, which is then going to impact our body's ability. to repair itself. It's going to become compromised. So in the long term, if we keep ignoring these signals for rest, then this will have an impact on our mental and our physical health. So perhaps this is one of the earlier cues that you might not normally recognize as a need for rest, is when you are feeling a bit more t Next, going off our intuition, those gut feelings. You know, sometimes you just know when your body needs a break. It's an inner feeling that's hard to ignore, or sometimes easy to ignore, depending on how you've been practicing, where you're at in terms of your noticing when to rest journey. So this is where it's really important to listen to intuition. It can come in handy. in trying to get those early warning signals recognized and acted upon, so that we don't have to be stopped by illness or pure exhaustion. So as much as it's tempting to ignore this and think I'll just keep going, it is super important to pay attention to these signals, especially in midlife. This is a time of life when we can really start to focus on ourselves a bit more, because we'll notice we get these new challenges, but it really is our body's way of telling us to take care. So let's talk about what happens when we honour the need for rest. So going into some benefits to our bones and supports for our menopause symptoms. So when we honour our need for rest, we have the bone health benefits. Our bones get the chance to recover, which is vital for maintaining the strength and the density, strength training. Helps to build bone density, but rest is the period where the growth and repair actually happen. And without that we are much more likely to get injured. So when we ask our body to do a bit more so we can grow and improve, we must make sure it has the time to recover. Otherwise we're placing stress upon stress, which doesn't help us in the long run. Second benefit, is that we have that improved muscle recovery. So again, during our menopause, our lower oestrogen levels can mean our muscles can take longer to repair. Our lower progesterone levels can mean that our sleep might be a little bit impacted as well, which can just add to the challenge. So it's important that we have our rest days, and these are super crucial for allowing our muscles to recover and grow. And without enough rest, we risk those overuse injuries, which can set us back even more. So also be a little bit more mindful if you are looking to train after a poor night's sleep. It doesn't mean we have to skip it, just means some extra mindfulness around that, feeling into what you feel ready for that day. And sometimes that changes throughout the session. Sometimes you do more than what you think, and sometimes you realize, like I did this week when it went back to training, that you can't quite do what you thought you could. But it's important that we pay attention in that moment. Again, we have benefits to mental clarity and reduced brain fog. So when we take the rest we need, we will feel clearer in our minds and our brain will feel less foggy. And it might sound counterintuitive, just like I was saying earlier, but taking that step back allows the brain to have that reset, which can enhance our focus and our productivity when we do get back to it. Also, it increases our own self trust. So when we ask ourselves to do something that's challenging, or we ask ourselves to work, if we don't honour those cues for rest, it can be even harder to get back to work when we do return. Because, If we say we're going to rest and we don't do it, does our body really going to believe us if we keep not allowing that rest to happen? And finally, it's not the only benefit, but someone's going to go through today. When we honour our rest, we will see an increased resilience and better energy levels. So when we listen to our body and give it time to rest, we will build that resilience. Rest can help us to bounce back stronger and more energised. So resting isn't just doing nothing. It's a productive step in supporting our health and wellness, allowing us to come back stronger, more prepared for our daily challenges. So there we have it. Why it's important to rest and the benefits from honoring our body's cues for rest. So of course we always want to go through the practical tips on this podcast. So how do we manage to integrate this into our daily life? This is what's important. Firstly, perhaps we can look at scheduling rest days. So just as you might plan your workouts or your training days, our rest days are just as important to plan out or at least plan in. So these can be full days or active recovery days where we do something a little gentler like stretching, yoga, going for a walk in nature. But it's important that We do take these stays that are just not so intense. And it doesn't mean we have to stay on the couch all day and not move. Although, if you feel called now and then, there is nothing wrong with that. I've had my fair share of big long lie ins at the weekends in the last few weeks. It's just been needed. But remember that when we take that rest, it's only rest if we allow it to do its job and not sit there feeling guilty for the whole time. Next, perhaps we want to look at mindful rest practices. So things that help us to feel rested but can still sometimes have that activity involved with it as well. So things like breathwork, we can have relaxing breathwork, so ones that are a little bit more activating but that leave you feeling rested afterwards. Or things like gentle stretching, so Earlier this week when I went back to my first training attempt, I wasn't even going to attempt my first actual training, but I just went in and did mobility. So that was really restful and it was really welcomed after having a few days in bed. I needed to move, but I knew I wasn't 100 percent yet. So that gentle stretching really helped me to just unwind without feeling like I've done nothing, but also without overdoing it. And of course, when we. Focus on our breath. It can help us lower our cortisol levels, bring us to a more balanced state, whether we do that on a rest day and set some time aside especially, or whether we just try and remember to do that in the moment, or perhaps in one of these five minute computer breaks that I mentioned earlier. So next is one for the day to day and that is listening to your body's natural rhythm. So some days you'll find that you might feel more energised and ready to go, other days you might feel you need a slower pace. So just allow yourself to adjust your routine based on how you feel. Now some of you might work with your menstrual cycles, some of you may work with the cycles of the moon and how you notice your energy levels ebb and flow. Whatever your system is, it's important to get to know that for yourself. This is something I often get a lot of my clients to do as well. It's when we can start to see the patterns and see those cycles, we can start to make plans based on how we feel. So this doesn't mean we restrict ourselves when we might expect to feel lower energy. It just means that we can give ourselves that permission to take things at our own pace. And if we notice patterns, it helps us to do a little planning as well. Doesn't mean we can't do more if we feel like we've had a super energy boost though. So it helps to get to know your own natural rhythms, your own natural cycles, whether that is your menstrual cycle Or whether you use nature or even your HRT routine to help you with this. next practical tip is don't feel guilty about resting. So remember rest is essential, it's not a luxury, it's not something you need to earn. It really is a foundation part of your health. And if you're someone that does feel guilty taking time off, remember that rest is what enables you to keep going strong. It's especially important if you're balancing a lot of responsibilities, work, family, taking care of others. I've had to remind myself of this many times but more so in the last week, shifting myself from am I really sick enough to take time off to thinking have I rested enough to allow my body to show up. So perhaps looking at that flip rather than feeling like we need to have earned that rest. Consider. Have we supported our body, have we rested enough to ask ourselves, our mind, our body to do what it is that we want it to do. And of course, nothing is linear, progress doesn't go in a straight line, it's a very squiggly, Wiggly line, but we're learning to navigate these things that might feel new to us after years of pushing through, ignoring our needs. So take that time to reflect on your progress. When you do take time to rest, perhaps spend some of this time reflecting on how you feel afterwards. Do you notice more energy? Have you noticed your thinking is clearer? Becoming more in tune with this and these benefits can help you to stay motivated to take. more regular rest and make this part of your life. So whether you are recovering from an illness like I have, or perhaps simply just recognizing that your body needs a break, remember that rest is an incredibly powerful tool, especially during our menopause years. So listening to your body and respecting the need for rest can make all the difference in how you feel. So I invite you to take that time to slow down and recognise that a reset is not a step back, it's a step forward. It's a sign of growth to honour what your body needs, especially during this transitional phase of your life. And if you are feeling overwhelmed and struggling to find that balance between movement and rest, I'd love to support you. And I am still offering this free 30 minute clarity calls where we can talk about how to create a balanced plan that works for your own unique needs. So you can head over to the show notes to access this, or head to CarlyKillen. com to book your session. But thanks for listening everybody, and remember, resting today can give you a stronger tomorrow. Until next time, take care of yourself and keep listening to what your body needs.