Rest. Simply saying the word brings our heart rates down, but with schedules as hectic and demanding as ours, the only rest we seem to get is in a walk from class to class or in a conch-out 35-minute nap. For people who calculate their hours of sleep down to the minute (guilty as charged), a sinfully good nap session feels like the best way to recuperate. Right?

Not exactly. While a nap seems like a quick fix for a sluggish afternoon, there are so many other forms of rest that benefit in far greater ways. Rest is crucial to our attitudes, our well-being and the turnout of our day as a whole, but there are so many other sure-fire ways to amp up your happiness, lower your stress and sharpen your senses.

Take up a hobby. Work at it for 30 minutes a day.

I was almost more tempted to nap this summer than I am now, full swing into the semester. Instead of giving in, I decided to take up the ukulele. Before long, I felt better after practicing than after an hour of shameless couch-snoozing. A tedious hobby like playing an instrument, watercolor painting or hand-lettering a quote will take your mind off of the looming obligations ahead. After you've progressed a ways from where you started, there's also the gratification of a new talent. Thirty minute sessions of practicing a hobby leave us sharpened and without distraction.

Take a walk.

Or a run. Or a kayak. Getting outdoors gets us out of our heads and out of the temptation to sleep. With our pulses pumping and the sun in our eyes, the stresses of the day seem far away. This doesn't mean you have to break a sweat (I'm the last person to condone that), but the sunlight and fresh breath in your lungs will bring a kind of rest that can only be had outside.

Unplug and listen.

Ever read those articles that say blue light from a screen makes it hard to sleep? True story. That same blue light also keeps us distracted and sedentary, not stimulating any part of our body. Social media sites and Netflix are great in moderation, but staying plugged in won't bring near as much rest. Try turning off your phone or computer for that same half an hour time limit. Once you're unplugged, ask a friend how they're doing. Call your family. Stepping back and listening to someone else draws attention away from your own life, allowing you to be present and loving to someone else.

Whether you take a walk or do some yoga, whether you lay on the floor and listen to T-Swift or help out a friend in need, our crucial rest comes in so many unexpected ways. Namaste, people.