Ready, rest, recharge!

Fall is the time of year when we intuitively know to recalibrate. This is the month to prepare for the pre-Christmas social whirlwinds that are about to commence. Conserve your energy now by establishing nourishing routines. You’re going to need them.

Let’s start with a good night’s rest—about eight hours of sleep, according to experts. What you consume before bedtime, or more pointedly, what you don’t—like caffeine and alcohol and foods that are highly acidic, spicy, or high in fat or sugar—contribute just as much to a good night’s rest as do the physical aspects like mattress comfort, room temperature and degree of quietness. If you’ve stayed in a high-end hotel, then you’ll know firsthand the bliss of sleeping on pillowy clouds and silky sheets on a well-made mattress under a perfectly weighted, fluffy duvet. We’ve got good news: that 5-star experience can be had right in your home. Deluxe bedding from the Fairmont and Four Seasons hotels are ready for purchase on their websites, while Hôtels Le Germain makes their exclusive-label linens available through Simons department stores in Canada.

To help recalibrate during the day, focus on practises that affect involuntary physiological processes like blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Breathwork, the act of consciously altering your breath is a centuries-old practice that spans cultures around the world. Those who regularly incorporate breathwork into their lives attest that it brings about physical, emotional and spiritual benefits due to a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness. Breathwork can be done alone, with others in class, or in private with the assistance of an online guide or app. Minimal investment, maximum benefit.

Those having trouble unwinding may want to hug it out with Somnox 2, a soft, watermelon-sized robot that addresses stress—the root of sleep problems for many people. By hugging the device, you become synchronized with its rhythm, your breath matching the physical sensation of the rise and fall of the robot resulting in a slower heart rate and a calmer state of mind. Binaural beats, white noise, meditation, music or podcasts can be streamed through the device making it a great option when you need to take a moment (or 10) to decompress. With dedicated use, the designers say that improved sleep habits can be felt in two to four weeks.

Rest and relaxation are vital for the body to recharge but it’s important to take the time to rest the mind, too. An underrated act of self-care is being okay with doing nothing. It’s time to ditch the guilt and acknowledge the power and benefits of intentional placidity. Hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, enable the out-of-office email responder, and stop apologizing for not replying sooner to texts; most of them can wait. Make a conscious effort to slow down and guard your mental and physical resources. Your rested self will thank you.