by Ty Lee, Community Engagement Coordinator -Training & Volunteer Resources
Connections Volunteer Center
Thinking of rest in different ways and creating balance to recharge ourselves was the message from Ayanna Jordan of New Directions Career Center. The Senior Companions learned about the different types of rest needed, and made a goal to address an area in their life that could help them with energy levels.
Ayanna pointed out that sleep and rest are not the same thing and that sleep is a form of rest. The areas of rest include physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory and creative. An example of social rest might be needing a break from outside interactions and sensory rest could be limiting the use of electronic devices.
Ayanna practiced a mental/spiritual mindfulness exercise of deep breathing that can be used any time you need to quiet your mind. She encouraged making a self-care goal. For example, if you are needing more physical sleep, start with a one-week plan of getting to bed at a certain time, turning off electronics, and maybe reading to get our desired amount of sleep.
A quiz to determine what rest you need can be found at www.restquiz.net.
The Senior Companion Program volunteers help their peers maintain, regain, or extend independent living. Senior Companion volunteers assist frail or isolated older adults with personal errands, grocery shopping, and socialization activities. They can also provide short periods of relief to primary caregivers. Connections Volunteer Center, A Community Program of HelpLine, supports The Senior Companion Program with funding from SourcePoint.
