Apologies for the delay between posts. I was resting... :-)
This topic is mostly for the humans, although it's a lesson I've learned from my dog. (Animals are such masters at taking good care of themselves!)
For the past several months I've been trying to pay better attention to my body in all things, one of which is to rest when I'm tired. We don't get much encouragement for that in our culture. Quite the opposite, in fact. To rest in the middle of the day - even if just to sit and read a book - is considered lazy, one of the worst things to be in our culture. It's almost better to be a thief than a layabout! Better to be grinding yourself into the ground with constant work than to be perceived as idle or lazy. Naps and playtime are for children, is the message from our culture.
But here's the thing I've noticed since giving myself permission to stop and rest when I'm tired during the day, go to bed right after dinner if I need, and stay in bed until I'm no longer tired of a morning: I'm shocked at just how exhausted I am!
Years and years of systematic and culturally sanctioned neglect, coupled with the stresses of starting a new business, only to have the economy fall out from under me, have left me feeling utterly drained.
Well, duh!, you might say. But really, have you been taking any better care of yourself than I have of me? Your circumstances may be different, but every one of us is labouring under the same strains of cultural expectations, let alone family and personal expectations. Every one of us is overdoing it, slogging away day after day, trying to make a living, trying to prove ourselves worthy, fretting over the fact that we're not doing enough (and can never do enough), and all of the other inane and insane things we humans think are important...
What would happen if you just stopped? What if you listened to your body for a change, and did its bidding instead of the other way around?
Why not try it for a day, for just one day? (But note: your life may irrevocably change as a result...) Make it a weekend day if need be, but don't schedule anything at all for the day. Do nothing but the essentials: eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty, pee when your bladder's full, etc. Don't even shower if you can stand yourself unwashed for a day. Do nothing you absolutely don't have to, just for a day.
When my practice was busy, I'd try my best to make at least one of my weekend days just such a "drop-out" day. I'd feed the dog, feed myself, but other than that I'd do only what I felt like doing. Most of the time it was nothing but rest. I guess I should have cottoned to the fact right there that I was chronically over-tired and under-rested.
Since the new year, I decided to damn the torpedos and give myself permission to rest when I'm tired. That doesn't necessarily mean I actually lie down and sleep during the day. I've never been much of a napper; if I sleep during the day, I wake up feeling like I've been drugged, and I don't sleep as well that night. I used to envy those who can "power nap" (i.e. have a short sleep during the day and wake up refreshed), but I'm definitely not one of them. I seldom nap, although I may lie down and read or close my eyes and daydream for a while.
By "rest" I simply mean stop what I've been so focused on doing when I register that I'm tired and go do something else. I may go make myself a cup of tea and sit down and stare out the window for awhile or pick up one of the books I'm perpetually reading and enjoy a few pages. Or I may take the dog for an impromptu walk, which utterly delights first her and then me.
The funny thing is that when I go through the day like this, I'm actually more productive than if I just keep pushing on through, not letting myself rest until after 5 p.m. I'm more relaxed, creative, and inspired to work after I've had a rest. I'm also loving my work more when I don't feel I have to be chained to my desk or running around from call to call for the customary 8 hours a day.
And I'm finally starting to feel less exhausted.
The same principle applies to our animals, particularly to those who work for us. To the best of your ability, allow the animals in your care to rest during the day when they're tired, and to get a good night's sleep. Try turning off the radio in the barn and the radio or TV in the house if you're in the habit of keeping it on for "company." In my experience, animals are not as comforted by all that noise as we are. I'm not even sure we're all that comforted, either. In fact, domestic animals seem to me to be every bit as overstimulated and under-rested as we are.
At nightfall, turn off the barn lights and let the horses settle down for the night. Try to do the same in the house for your dogs and cats, at least in the rooms you're not using. Ms. Lilly has been my best instructor here.
At first it amused me, and then as I got to thinking about it, it intrigued me that Ms. Lilly puts herself to bed at nightfall, whatever time that is during the year. As soon as it's dark, she puts herself to bed, usually in the darkest one of her favourite sleeping places if I'm still up. In the summer months, when it may be light outside until after 10 pm, I have to practically drag her inside when I'm ready to go to bed. But in the depths of winter, when it is starting to get dark by 4:30 pm, she's ready for bed right after dinner (which she also wants earlier than usual). It's been a very valuable lesson for me on listening to one's biorhythms and following the ebb and flow of the seasons. When I follow her lead, I feel much better in all respects.
In fact, what she's taught me about appropriate proportions of rest and activity, and of sleep and wakefulness could be summed up thus: follow the rhythms of the earth -
The whole show oscillates in various rhythms, each overlaid and already orchestrated for us: breaths, days, months, seasons, years, life phases, lifetimes. Our patterns of activity likewise should oscillate around a life-sustaining centre, wherein a period of activity is always followed by a period of rest - not necessarily of equal length, but of equal revivifying quality. The activity should be thoroughly engaging, and the rest equally restorative. Therein we find our balance.
When it comes to working animals, rest is restorative for both body and mind. During a schooling lesson, for example, letting the horse (and rider) take short rests during the lesson can be a very useful training tool that, in my opinion, is vastly underused. Every animal (and human) I've ever met learns best - fastest and with better retention - when the work is interesting, fun, and rewarding. It can be physically challenging, yes, but it must also be something the animal (and human) enthusiastically participates in and feels the better for having done so, otherwise it's largely a waste of effort. Periods of rest and reward during training are an essential component of optimal learning.
The same goes for work in general, even work that is not primarily done for training purposes. To be most productive and least destructive, a period of work must be followed by a period of rest - not necessarily of equal length, but most definitely of equal quality. When the work is thoroughly engaging and the rest equally restorative, wonderful things can come of it - not the least of which is a life well lived.
And if that isn't enough to convince you, then consider this: more injuries occur in a tired body than in a well-rested, well-prepared body. I'll have much more to say about healthy exercise habits and exercise physiology in future posts.
This'll be a topic for another time, too, but while we're on the subject of rest and sleep, it's also important to provide a comfortable, safe, and secure place for your animals to rest and sleep. Particularly with herd species such as horses, being isolated - whether literally (i.e. no other horses nearby) or perceptually (i.e. no other friendly horses nearby) - is a real challenge. We all need to feel safe and secure in order to let ourselves fall into a state of deep, restful, restorative sleep.
Behavioural problems are one of the consequences of lack of sleep in animals, just as they are in humans. In horses, chronic lack of sleep can also lead to sudden loss of consciousness which causes collapse, often with self-injury. Commonly mislabelled narcolepsy, it's a condition that in humans is called inappropriate or excessive daytime sleep (EDS), and it can occur out at pasture, in the stall, and even in cross-ties. Sometimes the reason the horse is not sleeping well is because of a painful condition that makes it difficult for the horse to lie down or get up with ease. But often no such reason can be found, and the solution lies in making the sleeping environment quieter, darker, and safer - from the horse's perspective, not ours.
OK. That's about it for now. Until next time, sleep well!
-Dr. Chris King-
Nature's Apprentice
www.animavet.com
This topic is mostly for the humans, although it's a lesson I've learned from my dog. (Animals are such masters at taking good care of themselves!)
For the past several months I've been trying to pay better attention to my body in all things, one of which is to rest when I'm tired. We don't get much encouragement for that in our culture. Quite the opposite, in fact. To rest in the middle of the day - even if just to sit and read a book - is considered lazy, one of the worst things to be in our culture. It's almost better to be a thief than a layabout! Better to be grinding yourself into the ground with constant work than to be perceived as idle or lazy. Naps and playtime are for children, is the message from our culture.
But here's the thing I've noticed since giving myself permission to stop and rest when I'm tired during the day, go to bed right after dinner if I need, and stay in bed until I'm no longer tired of a morning: I'm shocked at just how exhausted I am!
Years and years of systematic and culturally sanctioned neglect, coupled with the stresses of starting a new business, only to have the economy fall out from under me, have left me feeling utterly drained.
Well, duh!, you might say. But really, have you been taking any better care of yourself than I have of me? Your circumstances may be different, but every one of us is labouring under the same strains of cultural expectations, let alone family and personal expectations. Every one of us is overdoing it, slogging away day after day, trying to make a living, trying to prove ourselves worthy, fretting over the fact that we're not doing enough (and can never do enough), and all of the other inane and insane things we humans think are important...
What would happen if you just stopped? What if you listened to your body for a change, and did its bidding instead of the other way around?
Why not try it for a day, for just one day? (But note: your life may irrevocably change as a result...) Make it a weekend day if need be, but don't schedule anything at all for the day. Do nothing but the essentials: eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty, pee when your bladder's full, etc. Don't even shower if you can stand yourself unwashed for a day. Do nothing you absolutely don't have to, just for a day.
When my practice was busy, I'd try my best to make at least one of my weekend days just such a "drop-out" day. I'd feed the dog, feed myself, but other than that I'd do only what I felt like doing. Most of the time it was nothing but rest. I guess I should have cottoned to the fact right there that I was chronically over-tired and under-rested.
Since the new year, I decided to damn the torpedos and give myself permission to rest when I'm tired. That doesn't necessarily mean I actually lie down and sleep during the day. I've never been much of a napper; if I sleep during the day, I wake up feeling like I've been drugged, and I don't sleep as well that night. I used to envy those who can "power nap" (i.e. have a short sleep during the day and wake up refreshed), but I'm definitely not one of them. I seldom nap, although I may lie down and read or close my eyes and daydream for a while.
By "rest" I simply mean stop what I've been so focused on doing when I register that I'm tired and go do something else. I may go make myself a cup of tea and sit down and stare out the window for awhile or pick up one of the books I'm perpetually reading and enjoy a few pages. Or I may take the dog for an impromptu walk, which utterly delights first her and then me.
The funny thing is that when I go through the day like this, I'm actually more productive than if I just keep pushing on through, not letting myself rest until after 5 p.m. I'm more relaxed, creative, and inspired to work after I've had a rest. I'm also loving my work more when I don't feel I have to be chained to my desk or running around from call to call for the customary 8 hours a day.
And I'm finally starting to feel less exhausted.
The same principle applies to our animals, particularly to those who work for us. To the best of your ability, allow the animals in your care to rest during the day when they're tired, and to get a good night's sleep. Try turning off the radio in the barn and the radio or TV in the house if you're in the habit of keeping it on for "company." In my experience, animals are not as comforted by all that noise as we are. I'm not even sure we're all that comforted, either. In fact, domestic animals seem to me to be every bit as overstimulated and under-rested as we are.
At nightfall, turn off the barn lights and let the horses settle down for the night. Try to do the same in the house for your dogs and cats, at least in the rooms you're not using. Ms. Lilly has been my best instructor here.
At first it amused me, and then as I got to thinking about it, it intrigued me that Ms. Lilly puts herself to bed at nightfall, whatever time that is during the year. As soon as it's dark, she puts herself to bed, usually in the darkest one of her favourite sleeping places if I'm still up. In the summer months, when it may be light outside until after 10 pm, I have to practically drag her inside when I'm ready to go to bed. But in the depths of winter, when it is starting to get dark by 4:30 pm, she's ready for bed right after dinner (which she also wants earlier than usual). It's been a very valuable lesson for me on listening to one's biorhythms and following the ebb and flow of the seasons. When I follow her lead, I feel much better in all respects.
In fact, what she's taught me about appropriate proportions of rest and activity, and of sleep and wakefulness could be summed up thus: follow the rhythms of the earth -
- get up when it's light, go to bed when it's dark
- be more active when the days are long, be less active when the days are short
- listen to your body during the course of every day and follow every period of activity with a period of rest, just as every in-breath is followed by an out-breath
The whole show oscillates in various rhythms, each overlaid and already orchestrated for us: breaths, days, months, seasons, years, life phases, lifetimes. Our patterns of activity likewise should oscillate around a life-sustaining centre, wherein a period of activity is always followed by a period of rest - not necessarily of equal length, but of equal revivifying quality. The activity should be thoroughly engaging, and the rest equally restorative. Therein we find our balance.
When it comes to working animals, rest is restorative for both body and mind. During a schooling lesson, for example, letting the horse (and rider) take short rests during the lesson can be a very useful training tool that, in my opinion, is vastly underused. Every animal (and human) I've ever met learns best - fastest and with better retention - when the work is interesting, fun, and rewarding. It can be physically challenging, yes, but it must also be something the animal (and human) enthusiastically participates in and feels the better for having done so, otherwise it's largely a waste of effort. Periods of rest and reward during training are an essential component of optimal learning.
The same goes for work in general, even work that is not primarily done for training purposes. To be most productive and least destructive, a period of work must be followed by a period of rest - not necessarily of equal length, but most definitely of equal quality. When the work is thoroughly engaging and the rest equally restorative, wonderful things can come of it - not the least of which is a life well lived.
And if that isn't enough to convince you, then consider this: more injuries occur in a tired body than in a well-rested, well-prepared body. I'll have much more to say about healthy exercise habits and exercise physiology in future posts.
This'll be a topic for another time, too, but while we're on the subject of rest and sleep, it's also important to provide a comfortable, safe, and secure place for your animals to rest and sleep. Particularly with herd species such as horses, being isolated - whether literally (i.e. no other horses nearby) or perceptually (i.e. no other friendly horses nearby) - is a real challenge. We all need to feel safe and secure in order to let ourselves fall into a state of deep, restful, restorative sleep.
Behavioural problems are one of the consequences of lack of sleep in animals, just as they are in humans. In horses, chronic lack of sleep can also lead to sudden loss of consciousness which causes collapse, often with self-injury. Commonly mislabelled narcolepsy, it's a condition that in humans is called inappropriate or excessive daytime sleep (EDS), and it can occur out at pasture, in the stall, and even in cross-ties. Sometimes the reason the horse is not sleeping well is because of a painful condition that makes it difficult for the horse to lie down or get up with ease. But often no such reason can be found, and the solution lies in making the sleeping environment quieter, darker, and safer - from the horse's perspective, not ours.
OK. That's about it for now. Until next time, sleep well!
-Dr. Chris King-
Nature's Apprentice
www.animavet.com
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