In a TED Ideas post, Saundra Dalton-Smith insists “we go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep — but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need” and outlines the seven types of rest that are essential for human flourishing.
1. Physical Rest
This is the type of rest we’re all familiar with. But while we know we need to spend a decent number of hours asleep to stay healthy, a vast amount of studies show a large proportion of us still don’t get enough.
2. Mental Rest
Are you constantly busy-minded? Meaning, even when you are resting, you aren’t resting. Do you always have thoughts going through your head about the “next task” even while still working on the current one? You need more mental rest, and even if you sleep a solid eight hours a night, you’re not going to feel fully recharged until you get it.
“The good news is you don’t have to quit your job or go on vacation to fix this. Schedule short breaks to occur every two hours throughout your workday; these breaks can remind you to slow down. You might also keep a notepad by the bed to jot down any nagging thoughts that would keep you awake,” suggests Dalton-Smith.
3. Sensory Rest
Staring at screens all day and all night means your eyes never get a proper break, but this isn’t the only reason many of us never give our senses a break. Noisy cities, pinging notifications, and blaring music all contribute to constant sensory stimulation. Make the choice to set a calming app or meditation app on your phone to remind you to take 5 minutes out of your day, close your eyes, turn off all the noise, and just be still.
4. Creative Rest
There are tons of websites that are full of tips on how to be more creative. However, just as important as striving to put out new ideas, is remembering to pause and take in the building blocks out of which they’re constructed — awe, art, inspiring people, and time to let it all marinate. Creative rest doesn’t just come from creating, it comes from taking a breath and admiring natural creations and the creations of others.
5. Emotional Rest
Joy is the main emotional goal in life, but we will, no doubt, experience other emotions too. Be honest and gentle with yourself, and others. Give yourself a chance to express other emotions. If you’re sad, hurt, angry, don’t suppress those feelings. Instead, take a deep breath and talk to someone, in a healthy manner, to help manage those feelings.
6. Social Rest
Some people energize you. Others drain you. If you spend too much time with the latter type, you’re going to need some emotional rest. Try to determine which people in your life are the energy drainers. If you cannot spend less time with them, then definitely spend more time with those who feed you energy, or just more time alone, to recharge.
7. Spiritual Rest
All humans, no matter their religious affiliation or lack thereof, have a need to feel connected to something larger than themselves. That’s sometimes not easy to maintain in the middle of everyday life. The good news is science shows simple interventions can give you a quick dose of awe that should lead to measurable increases in well-being.
So, if you are tired…if you are always finding yourself feeling a lack of rest, no matter how much sleep you get, maybe it’s time to reevaluate other areas of your life to see what you can do to feel more at rest.
(Paraphrased from a January 8th article published by inc.com)
