Why you should prioritize rest

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"Burnout" is now a buzzy phrase in the cultural lexicon. So, what does it actually mean? 

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There are about a bazillion different definitions for burnout, but we personally think the book Burnout by the Nagoski sisters features the best conversation about burnout. If your morale is all over the place right now, we highly recommend ordering the book from your local independent bookstore or borrowing it from the library (try the Libby app if you haven't yet). 

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You’ll learn that:

• 📚The term "burnout" was coined in 1975 and defined by 3 components. Herbert Freudenberger defined “burnout” to have (1) emotional exhaustion—the fatigue that comes from caring too much, for too long; (2) depersonalization—the depletion of empathy, caring, and compassion; and (3) decreased sense of accomplishment—an unconquerable sense of futility: feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.
  
  
• 💔Burnout impacts your health. According to Burnout, "In the forty years since the original formulation, research has found it’s the first element in burnout, emotional exhaustion, that’s most strongly linked to negative impacts on our health, relationships, and work—especially for women." Hmm, I wonder if any of us are caring too much about something right now...

• 🔥When you are burning out, your body is physically stressed out and needs to complete the stress cycle. The Nagoski sisters talk about stress and stressors: "Stressors are what activate the stress response in your body. They can be anything you see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or imagine could do you harm. Stress is the neurological and physiological shift that happens in your body when you encounter one of these threats.” ​In this NPR interview about the book, Emily Nagoski talks about how in the Good Old Days, stressors were acute and short-term, like a lion chasing you. You either get eaten to death or you survive and celebrate. Your body completes the stress cycle. Our stressors these days are more chronic, so we're encountering "chased by lion" feelings without actually completing our stress cycles. We are stuck. Voila, burnout!
  
  
• 🫂Positive social interaction is one of the most important salves for stress. Casual but friendly social interaction is the first external sign that the world is a safe place. Most of us expect we’ll be happier if, say, our seatmate on a train leaves us alone, in mutual silence. Turns out, people experience greater well-being if they’ve had a polite, casual chat with their seatmate."

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So, if you're feeling burned out, go talk to someone! This is why the climate movement NEEDS stronger and more fun community structures. We are emotionally exhausted and we need good vibes conversations to keep going.

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P.S. if you aren't going to read the book but if you want something more hearty than this summary, check out this NPR article and this article from the University of Calgary.

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Turns out, getting a good night's sleep isn’t the only thing we need to feel truly rested—there are six other types of rest that could be the secret to alleviating burnout and unlocking our best selves. From the wise words of Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith…

“Many of us are going through life thinking we have rested because we have slept but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest that we need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically-tired, burned-out individuals. Many of us are suffering from a rest deficit because we do not understand the power of rest. Rest is the most underused chemical-free and safe alternative therapy available to us." 

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There are 7 types of rest:

1. Physical rest, including passive rest such as sleeping/napping or active rest like yoga/massage/stretching
2. Mental rest that reminds your brain to slow down or pause, like taking breaks throughout the day
3. Sensory rest that repairs the damage we bear from the over-stimulated world.
4. Creative rest which "is especially important for anyone who must solve problems or brainstorm new ideas. Creative rest reawakens the awe and wonder inside each of us." In other words, creative rest is a MUST-DO activity if we dream of healing the climate crisis! This can include enjoying nature or appreciating art.
5. Emotional rest "which means having the time and space to freely express your feelings and cut back on people-pleasing. Emotional rest also requires the courage to be authentic."
6. Social rest, which can be practiced in-person and virtually. Social rest isn't what you might think of as "rest" because it's not the same as taking breaks from socializing. Social rest is the practice of differentiating between recharging vs. exhausting relationships. "To experience more social rest, surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Even if your interactions have to occur virtually, you can choose to engage more fully in them by turning on your camera and focusing on who you’re speaking to."
7. Spiritual rest "is the ability to connect beyond the physical and mental and feel a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose." Being involved in a purpose-driven community can help you find a deep sense of spiritual rest. In addition to traditional spiritual centers like churches, mosques, temples, and meditation centers, you might seek out communities that are interest-based. Consider joining Soapbox Project's membership community or find a values-aligned place where you can commit more time and energy... which, counterintuitively, can be spiritually restful!

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You are worth more than your exhaustion. By embracing different types of rest, we can move towards truly restoring ourselves and unlocking a healthier, more balanced way of living. 

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We need collective care more than anything. That's why most of the actions below aren't just about you—we all thrive when we show up for each other, even when morale can feel low. 

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Here are 7 actions you can take to to commit to true self and collective care: 

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1. Make yourself or a friend a card with the 7 types of rest.
Visual reminders go a long way towards self-care and collective-care. 

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2. Call the Nap Ministry Hotline.
You can call 1-888-LUV-NAPS (588-6277) for yourself or a friend which is a message of care recorded under a blanket.

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3. Get a climate coloring book for your creative rest.
You've probably seen Nicole Kelner's illustrations before, and she just launched a clean energy coloring book! Mainstream self-care is all about buying stuff, so we  weren’t sure if we wanted to recommend something that costs money, but this is different: you're supporting an independent creator and getting 50 pages of relaxation.

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4. Advocate for a four-day workweek if you're able to.
This video shares how work is killing us and the planet. In a Microsoft Japan office trial, their offices used 23% less electricity and 59% fewer sheets of paper. An analysis from the UK shows that the country's carbon footprint could be slashed by 127 MILLION TONNES. That's a 21.3% cut to the UK's total yearly emissions!

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5. Join a community for spiritual rest.
Consider joining Soapbox Project's membership community or maybe for you, it's a local running club. Or crochet circle. Or a mosque. As you learned above, feeling "a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose" is key to healing burnout!

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Bonus action: read Prentis Hemphill's What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World

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When we show up for each other, whether through simple acts of kindness, creative engagement, or larger systemic changes, we are building a future where everyone thrives. Each of the actions above is a small but powerful step toward creating a culture of care, not only for ourselves but for those around us!

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Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

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'Lastly, of course we have to give you a snippet of restscape as you ponder over these three reflections. You can choose from the three (or do all of them). 

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Reflection #1: How has learning about the 7 types of rest changed your relationship with burnout?

Reflection #2: Do you believe rest is something to be earned? Why or why not?

​Reflection #3: Ponder "Messenger" by Mary Oliver

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My work is loving the world.

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—

equal seekers of sweetness.

Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?

Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me

keep my mind on what matters,

which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be

astonished.

The phoebe, the delphinium.

The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.

Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart

and these body-clothes,

a mouth with which to give shouts of joy

to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,

telling them all, over and over, how it is

that we live forever.

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Our commitment is to internalize that our work is "loving the world" and "mostly standing still and learning to be astonished." If I do nothing else, it will be enough. Thank you Mary!

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If you ever need encouragement, you deserve rest now and always. We will be happy to tell you this whenever you need to hear it.

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‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!