7 Types of Rest
“I need to rest.”
What’s the first thing that comes to mind for you? Is it a nap in a quiet room or a vacation to some far off locale? According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of “Sacred Rest,” there are actually 7 different types of rest that we can engage in: physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative and spiritual (Beddington, 2021). So what are these types of rest, and how can we tell which ones we should focus on? Here’s a brief breakdown.
Physical - Does your body regularly feel stiff, sore, achey, or hurt? These are signs you might need physical rest. Try laying on a couch or bed for 5 minutes at some point in the day and don’t move at all. Just focus on your breath. Massages and stretching are also good ways to help your body rest (Beddington, 2021).
Mental - If you become distracted easily, experience brain fog, or have nervous, scatter-brained mental energy, then mental rest may be your area of focus. Dalton-Smith suggests turning off the notifications on your phone and spending at least 25 minutes completely focused on one task with no interruptions. You can check your texts and emails after the 25 minute mark.
Emotional - This one tends to hit introverts and those with social anxiety or high levels of empathy the hardest. Are you craving time alone? Does the idea of getting together with family or friends make you want to hide? Then you probably need emotional rest. See if you can identify people who put gas in your energy tank vs. those who deplete it and make sure you aren’t falling into the trap of comparing yourself to others (Beddington, 2021).
Social - Dalton-Smith defines social rest as time spent around those with whom you can be completely and utterly yourself. You might need social rest if you often feel the need to “perform” professionally or put on a face in order to be around friends and family.
Sensory - Sound is the sense where most of us experience overstimulation to the point of needing rest. Being stuck in the house around the clock with little children or working in a hectic environment are two good examples. Compensate with soothing musical playlists or do your best to schedule silence into your week (Beddington, 2021).
Creative - Has it been a while since you felt creatively on fire or were excited about your work? Dalton-Smith says we all need creative sabbaticals built into our lives. This is where we check out from the usual grind for at least 30 minutes and just do things that make us feel more alive. Wander through an art gallery for example, or watch the first episode of that show you’ve been thinking about for weeks.
Spiritual - According to Dalton-Smith, “at the core of spiritual rest is the feeling that we are really seen… that we belong… that our life has meaning.” Meditation, volunteer work, serving others, or plugging into a spiritual community can all be forms of spiritual rest (Beddington, 2021).
References:
Beddington, E. (2021). The seven types of rest: I spent a week trying them all. Could they help end my exhaustion? The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/25/the-seven-types-of-rest-i-spent-a-week-trying-them-all-could-they-help-end-my-exhaustion.
Rest Quiz - https://www.restquiz.com/quiz/rest-quiz-test/
Challenges/Points:
There are 7 different types of rest that we may need to focus on and give ourselves.
The types of rest are physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual.
To learn more about each of these types of rest, check out Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s book “Sacred Rest” or take the quiz at the link above to learn what type of rest you need most.
Questions:
Which type of rest seemed like one you might need or be craving more than others?
Is it hard for you to rest or do you find it easy?
What is one way you can incorporate rest into your rhythm this week?
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