How to Rest With Eyes Open

If you've ever entered "the fray" - the feeling of perpetual rushing and stress and hustle that surrounds life in a city or a lot of job environments - you know that getting rest and relaxation is important for your health. Mental rest is more important for some than for others, but it's beneficial to pretty much everybody. Here are some tips for getting an equivalent of the psychic rest that sleep provides, or at least a little down-time in your day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Do a simple mind-clearing meditation. The word "meditation" actually describes a range of activities one of which is the active emptying of the mind to facilitate rest. Sit down comfortably, remain immobile and breathe naturally and deeply. You should feel yourself slipping down into a more restful state. Get as much of this as you need whenever you can.
2. Try active "meditations." Another way some people use meditation to rest is with specific targeted internal patterns. In the old days, mystics used qabbalism, the Hebrew alphabet, or any number of semiotic systems to unwind (and tap into a higher plane). Today, it's pretty much whatever you come up with. The idea is that these mental patterns help you contemplate your ideals and replace your stressed, momentary life.
3. Put problems on hold. Just clearing your head helps to remove a "constant state" of anxiety. Think about your major stressors and then figure out how to put them on hold for a while. Targeting and releasing these issues will get you into a more restful, peaceful state.
4. Use stimuli like puzzles, games or conversation. These things don't really seem "restful," but compared to what you may be dealing with every day, they might be just what you need. Some people need a focus in order to unwind and get rested.
5. Practice "half-states." It's rare that you can actually fall asleep with your eyes open, but you can get a few rungs down the ladder without closing your eyes. The key is getting into a comfortable position and letting your mind wander until you have naturally powered down into meditative or at-rest states.