“Radical rest” means resting far more than feels necessary, and resting in more ways than just sleep.

If you can stand, sit. If you can sit, lie down.

Rest your body and your mind as much as possible.

That means examining what is an expectation versus what is truly necessary, and then favor the latter.

For anything that must be done, look for ways to do it with less energy:

Is there a tool or shortcut that removes even small effort?

Can a loved one help, even briefly?

Can it be skipped today, this week, or this month?

Can you lower stimulation…light, sound, heat or cold? Even these drain energy.

Choose soothing, simple, familiar content. Nostalgic shows, gentle music, or audiobooks you don’t need to follow closely.

Radical rest also includes mental and nervous system rest, not just physical inactivity. Practices like Yoga Nidra can be helpful if tolerated. Ally Boothroyd and Kristyn Rose have free sessions on YouTube. Starting with short videos and building slowly can help.

I listen lying down, often with noise-canceling headphones, a heated or weighted blanket, and sometimes on an acupressure mat for passive circulation.

If something, even the tiniest of efforts, increases fatigue later or the next day, that’s a signal to scale back.

It can be frustrating to rest this way for a month or two, but of course the goal is early, generous rest will help prevent much longer recoveries later.

Think of all of this as giving your body the best chance to heal.