7 Tips for Making it Through a Rest Day
7 Tips for Making it Through a Rest Day
If you’re like me, rest days can be hard. Unless experiencing burnout, it can be tough to stay off of the mats. I know that rest days are important, but I just love training so much and I don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to learn and grow. Where I would normally be spending hours of my day at the gym, all of the sudden I have these huge gaps, not to mention pent up energy. Luckily, I have found some strategies to make these Jiu-Jitsuless days bearable, and ensure that my vigor for training is at maximum capacity when I return.
Sleep as much as possible. If you’re sleeping, then you’re not thinking about how much you’d rather be training. Also, your body probably needs the rest to to heal itself and keep from getting sick.
2. Spend some time on some other hobbies that you love. Rest days are important, not only physically, but mentally as well. Spending time on other activities lets your brain focus on something other than Jiu-Jitsu, which helps create balance, and I think helps you enjoy training more when you get back to it. I personally enjoy playing my guitar, singing, and reading.
3. Take time to go somewhere you don’t normally have the time or energy for. Swim in the ocean. Walk through a park. Go to the zoo. Get out and enjoy some fresh air.
4. Try a new recipe. We have our tried and true meals that we know so well we could make them in our sleep. Usually that’s all we have the energy for. Sometimes we don’t even take the time to cook. Have fun making something new, or even meal prep for the week.
5. Clean the house. Rest days are the perfect time to do some deep cleaning! Take some time to organize. Grab a rag and a spray bottle and tackle that bathroom. You’ll appreciate coming home to a clean environment on the days when you’re running yourself ragged.
6. Take time to call someone. In this day of social media and instant messaging, it is very easy to just send a text instead of calling. Call up a friend or family member you haven’t talked to in a while and have a conversation.
7. Take time to sit down and check off your to do list. Make sure all the bills are paid, tournaments are registered for, oil change is current, etc. After training, we can sometimes be tired and forgetful, so the rest day is the perfect time to catch up on these basic responsibilities.
By
Nikki Sullivan