Headspace_logo_svg
PodcastKnowing When To Rest

Knowing When To Rest

When illness or exhaustion hits, we tend to be hard on ourselves for not feeling well. Eve talks about taking time to heal when you need it.

Try 14 days free

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Try 14 days free
Better mental health starts with Headspace

(air whooshing) (gentle music) Headspace Studios. (gentle music) Hello, friends. It's Eve here with you. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Monday. So I caught COVID a few weeks ago and I got it pretty badly. I managed to go two and a half years without getting it. I've had all the vaccines, the booster, but it finally got me. I had to surrender to the fact that I was pretty sick, and I had to rest. That meant stopping everything, no work, no chores, nada. And boy did it feel uncomfortable. But I'm so glad I listened to what my body needed. And I bring this up because I think, generally speaking, we're not very good at resting, especially when we're sick. It's almost as if we pitch ourselves against ourselves and that we are failing if we don't continue to work. Now, of course, there are many reasons for this. Folks may not feel safe taking sick days. There might be a fear of losing their jobs or that it will be frowned upon. And there's not really an easy fix for this. A lot of these issues are deeply embedded in our working culture. But I think what is helpful to remember is that we may all get sick at some point in our lives, and we're all going to need support to heal and to get better. So we might not be able to change our approach to sick days overnight, but we can focus on cultivating empathy and compassion. We are all part of a shared human experience, and it can be helpful to remind ourselves, when we see that someone needs time to rest and heal, that one day we, too, might need that same help. And we can flex our empathy and compassion muscles as we go about our daily lives. It doesn't have to be reserved just for the bigger challenges in life. And a great way to do this is by strengthening our attention and listening to folks, not just what they say, but how they look, their mood, and what they might not be saying. We're all probably quite guilty of saying, "Yeah, I'm fine," when someone asks, "How are you?" It's almost a default setting sometimes. But when we start to pay attention in more detail and notice how someone is, we can often see that they may need a little support or help. Of course, we don't want to push and pry or force folks into telling us what is going on, but a simple, "I noticed that you seemed a little down. Is there anything I can do to help? Please let me know if you feel comfortable sharing," can really go a long way. (gentle music) Practicing meditation and mindfulness helps to lay the foundations for empathy and compassion to arise. Empathy is to feel with, to put yourself in someone else's shoes. And compassion is to suffer with. And when we train in awareness, we...

Details

TypePodcast
Duration5 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Your lifelong guide to better mental health

Stress, sleep, and all the challenging emotions — care for your mind with the everyday mental health app that's shown to make a difference.

Try 14 days free
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

Related to 'Knowing When To'

Manifesting Compassion

Meditation10 min

Send loving and kind feelings to yourself and others.

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice