If you’re looking for that unique exclusive gift for a loved one, or you want a little pampering yourself, consider self care hampers. They are very popular right now, and with good reason to be.

The world has learned some very hard lessons following the Covid-19 pandemic. Stress levels are spiraling out of control, work from home isn’t all that it’s made out to be, new and strange health issues seem to be raising their heads, and you’re flooded with reams of often contradictory news, tips, social media posts and more at every waking moment.

More than ever, this is the time you need the Rest and Digest systems in your body to take center stage.

What’s The Rest and Digest Nervous System?

One of the main components in your body is the autonomic nervous system. It is responsible for regulating important functions that enable survival and wellness. These functions don’t need your conscious effort to do their work. The autonomic nervous system runs on auto-pilot, and regulates your body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, rate of breathing and more.

There are two parts to this system:

● Sympathetic
● Parasympathetic

They work in tandem but perform complementary functions when presented with different stimuli. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the Fight or Flight response, while the parasympathetic produces the Rest and Digest or Feed and Breed response.

When faced with a threat – both real and perceived, the sympathetic nervous system reacts with a series of responses that include higher heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, dilation of pupils, stoppage of digestive process, and a rush of hormones such as adrenaline into the bloodstream. All these are evidence of how our ancestors prepared themselves to either fight a predator or enemy or to escape from the situation. Today the same response is evoked whenever you face any stressful situation. However, in the long run, such stress can damage your health, leading to chronic illnesses.

The parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to reduce the effect of all these responses and bring the body back to stability. As a result, the body can go back to equilibrium, into a state of rest, where essential processes such as digestion can be resumed. This is the Rest and Digest response.

It is important to be conscious of how these two systems work, and ensure that you gain control of your own body.

How To Activate the Rest and Digest Nervous System

One of the pitfalls of modern life is life-style diseases, high stress levels and the weakening of social bonds. Paradoxically, in the history of the human race, we have never been as connected as we are now via social media. But the constant need to maintain your visibility and presence, post on social media, read about others leading dream lives, and look for newer and newer ways to stay in the limelight do take their toll.

Add to this mix, political and economic factors, employment uncertainties, family pressure and loneliness, and you have the perfect recipe for emotional breakdown. The answer is to decompress and let the Rest and Digest system take over. This is the process of self-care that we all need to learn, adopt and practice.

Gift Hampers

One of the nicest things you can give a loved one is a gift hamper that says you care about their physical and mental well-being. When you select a set of products that are carefully curated, with no compromise on quality, well-researched and organic, it truly expresses your commitment to the concept of self-care.

For instance, hamper gifts from Rest and Digest are welcome any time of year. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, token of appreciation or just because you feel like gifting, these hampers will be truly cherished. While they great gifting options for your loved ones, they’re even better when you choose them for yourself. It affirms your commitment to self-care, self-awareness and self-compassion.

You will find a great selection on the website to fit your needs, preferences and budget. You can choose a hamper that contains all the makings for starting a bullet journal, flower remedies, a tiny alarm clock to keep you on schedule and silk pillowcases to soothe you to sleep. Other hampers may have skin care products, scrubs and brushes, soothing teas and tea pops, gratitude journals and more. You’ll find hampers that focus on body self care, sleep, relaxation, yoga, balms, oil sprays, salts and fragrances.

The common thread that runs through all these is the focus on rest, relaxation, peace and mindful self-care. They are all centered on ensuring that you find the right way to reduce the effect of stress hormones and prolonged sympathetic nervous system responses which could harm you in the long run.