Are you well rested?   It's a deceptively simple question, and the answer goes beyond merely tallying up the hours of sleep you got last night.  Rest is a multifaceted concept that extends far beyond sleep; it's a fundamental activity in its own right. Real rest is all about renewal, repair, and replenishment. It washes away the dust of our daily lives and fills the empty, tired spaces within us.

The fatigue we feel can stem from numerous sources: insufficient sleep, an over-packed schedule, medical conditions or side effects of medication, anxiety, depression, or a sense of disconnection and purposelessness.  There are many ways that we try to alleviate our weariness:  consuming caffeine or other stimulants, binge-watching TV, sleeping late on our days off, or taking a vacation.  While these may provide some temporary relief, they don't always get to the root of the problem, and, once again, we quickly find ourselves exhausted.

To be truly beneficial, rest must align with the specific deficit that a person is experiencing. Fatigue and rest can be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, or creative. Different methods of obtaining rest are not one-size-fits-all, nor are they interchangeable.  Only the right kind of rest can effectively target the particular form of fatigue that someone is experiencing.  Making this match requires pausing and paying attention to the signals that the fatigue is sending, and then engaging in activities that provide the corresponding kinds of rest.  Too often, though, we just reflexively switch behaviors or change our surroundings, without actually taking the time to understand our deeper needs. Imagine being thirsty, feeling that deep need for water, and then deciding to take a shower.  It wouldn’t make sense to expect the water pouring over you to take care of the dehydration within you.   The remedy must match that which is in need of repair.

If you’d like an opportunity to pause, identify the forms of fatigue that you’re feeling, and then create a personalized plan for getting the rest you need, consider joining “Well Rested:  A 6-Week Journey to Finding Your Restorative Balance."  

This group wellness coaching experience will give participants an opportunity to:

• Learn to distinguish different types of fatigue and corresponding types of rest.

• Identify areas where they have personal rest deficits.

• Examine their boundaries around those areas.

• Explore options and develop a plan for getting the right kind of rest

Dates:  Wednesdays, Oct. 11 - Nov 15

Times:  5:30 - 7:00 pm (Oct. 11 & 18)

              5:30 - 6:30 (Oct. 25 & Nov. 1, 8, 15)

Place: Cook County Higher Education

Cost:   $120  - scholarships available

             (= only $20/coaching session!)

This group will be facilitated by me, Hartley Newell-Acero, MA, CHt, NBC-HWC.  I'm a Mayo Clinic and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and have degrees in Psychology and Behavioral Science/Fitness & Human Performance. I’m the owner of ReNewell Resources Health and Wellness Coaching, where I offer both individual and group coaching.

If you have any questions about coaching in general, or about this group in specific, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or 218-353-1442. 

To register for Well Rested:  A 6-Week Journey to Finding Your Restorative Balance, visit Cook County Higher Education.