The 7 types of Rest Everybody Needs
By: Sophia Erickson
For as long as I can remember, I have used rest and sleep synonymously. Whether it be exhaustion after a workout, lack of energy during my school day or the inability to wake up in the morning, I have always attributed it to a lack of sleep. In the past couple of months my sleep has become way more consistent (thank you 9-5 job life), but sometimes even after 8+ hours of sleep I still feel drained and burnout. Recently, I listened to a podcast with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine physician, and learned about her theory of rest. Simply, she believes that in a world of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals, we all need seven different types of rest to feel fully alive and fully ourselves.
Physical Rest
The first and most obvious type of rest is physical rest. This form of rest is anything that releases tension and restores calm to the body and can be either passive or active. Passive rest would be considered napping or sleeping while active rest could include stretching, yoga, walks and so much more. While lack of physical rest can manifest itself in many ways, focus on physical markers such as sore muscles to discern if this is what you are lacking.
Mental Rest
Next, is mental rest. Maybe you are having trouble falling asleep because your thoughts are racing. Or maybe, you feel scatterbrained and frantic which gives ways to forgetfulness, anxiety or overthinking - these are all signs that you need mental rest. Our brain is the powerhouse of our entire body and nervous system and when we feel wired it is often because our brain is tired. In fact, research has found that taking breaks can improve your mood, boost your performance and increase your ability to concentrate and pay attention (Weir, 2019). If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, begin to make time for mental breaks throughout the day, ideally every 2 hours. You could even try incorporating meditation into your routine.
Social Rest
It’s no secret that we as human beings have limited time in our days. This being said, we need to be more cautious and aware about who we choose to give our time to. If you find yourself playing therapist for your best friend time and time again, or feel that you always have to be the responsible designated driver, it may be time for you to take a social rest. While I am all for socializing and spending time with people you care about, it is important to make sure you prioritize spending time with supportive people who refresh your energy, not deplete it.
Spiritual Rest
Like many other people who just graduated from college, I have found myself more often than not asking myself what I want out of life. I am in the midst of making big life decisions about what career I want to pursue, where I want to live and so much more. This, like you can imagine, is exhausting. Working 9-5 Monday - Friday can be rewarding in a “I have to pay rent” kind of way but I found myself spiritually exhausted trying to connect my job to a bigger meaning. If you find yourself doing this too, try volunteering or starting a hobby that helps you connect to a higher purpose. Not only will doing this expose you to a new community, but it has also been found that a, “higher sense of purpose is associated with more physical activity, healthier sleep, higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, increased use of preventive healthcare services, enhanced sleep quality, and possibly less smoking” (Yeung, 2017).
Sensory Rest
Sensory overload is when your five senses take in more information than your brain can process. When you think about the stimulation you have in one day- screens and monitors with bright lights, notifications, text tones, coworkers talking to you, friends venting, etc., it is easy to consider that we are all experiencing some form of overload. Oftentimes, lack of sensory rest can lead to agitation and irritability, so consider creating boundaries with things like technology and people that can be overwhelming.
Emotional Rest
Whether it be guilt, sadness, anger, etc., we all carry emotions with us daily. In order to feel fully rested, make sure you are taking the time to express yourself and your emotions frequently and authentically in order to avoid carrying unnecessary emotional labor.
Creative Rest
Finally, give yourself time for creative rest. This is simply acknowledging that the simple things around you deserve to be appreciated. Whether it be nature, the arts, movement, etc, find what speaks to you and spend more time absorbing those and less time focusing on the background noise. And if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to the experts. Studies show that there is a positive relationship between creativity and well-being(Tan, 2021). By going through life with a creative lens, you are more likely to appreciate the world around you which in turn leads to higher satisfaction, more positive emotions and increased overall health and well-being.
Reference List
Tan, C. Y., Chuah, C. Q., Lee, S. T., & Tan, C. S. (2021). Being Creative Makes You Happier: The Positive Effect of Creativity on Subjective Well-Being. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(14), 7244. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147244
Weir, K. (2019, January). Give me a break. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/break
Yeung, J., Zhang, Z., & Kim, T. Y. (2017). Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms. BMC public health, 18(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8