An Extract: The 7 types of rest that every person needs
Have you ever tried to fix an ongoing lack of energy by getting more sleep
— but still feel exhausted?
[This article is extact from the article "The 7 types of rest that every person needs", by Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith MD, a physician, researcher and the author of the book "Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity."]
We often think that sleeping equals rest, forgetting that there are in fact other elements in order to achieve sufficient rest. While we are highly accomplished and productive, we are chronically tired and burnt out because of the lack of rest we needed.
This article will try to explain to you why, and what is the difference between sleep and rest. After reading this, you will understand that we have in fact never understood what is meant by "rest", and many of us had in fact not having the actual rest we need to "take a rest". . .
The SEVEN main types of "Rests" as described by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith are namely, Physical Rest, Mental Rest, Sensory Rest, Creative Rest, Emotional Rest, Social Rest, and Spiritual Rest. Do you have any idea what each of these refers to?
Physical Rest
The first type of rest we need is obviously the physical rest, which can be passive or active.
Passive physical rest includes sleep and naps
Active physical rest refers to restorative activities that help improve circulation and flexibility, such as yoga, stretching, and massage.
Mental Rest
The second type of rest we need is mental rest. Do you know that person who drinks a mug of coffee every day before starting work, who is always irritable, forgetful, and has difficulty concentrating? And when he/she goes to bed at night, who often feels really hard to shut down his mind, for reason that the day's work keeps filling up his thoughts. And even though he/she is able to get a night's sleep, will often wake up as if he/she's never slept. To get through these symptoms, you don't need any pills or medication yet, but try these methods:
Schedule short breaks every two hours throughout the workday; these short breaks serve as a reminder to slow down.
You can also keep a planner next to your bed when you go to sleep at night, and jot down the thoughts that keep you awake, so you can sleep peacefully.
Sensory Rest
The third type of rest we need is sensory rest. Bright lights, computer screens, background noise, and multiple conversations at the same time — whether in the office or in a Zoom meeting — continue to stimulate our senses. We need to turn off our sensory receptors from time to time to achieve this rest:
Try closing your eyes for a minute when you feel tired
Turn off all electronic devices when leaving work or when you have finished your work
These actions aim to deliberately deprive yourself of sensory stimulations so you can temporarily undo the damage that electronic stimulation has done to you.
Creative Rest
The fourth type of rest is creative rest. This type of rest is particularly important for those whose work requires lots of problem solving skills or who participates in lots of brainstorm sessions. A creative rest awakens the inspiration within each of us. It can be achieved by going out to the nature or by enjoying art; or introducing to your workspace with images or artwork.
Emotional Rest
Everyone needs an emotional break, which means having the time and space to express your feelings freely and be less pleasing to others. Emotional rest also means that the person needs to be brave enough to be true to himself. Emotionally rested people need to learn how to say "I'm not okay" and also need to know how to share things that are hard to say.
Social Rest
Social fatigue occurs when we fail to distinguish between those relationships that rejuvenate us and those that drain us. At this time, we need more social rests, and getting along with positive and supportive people, even if it is a virtual way, is also a way.
Spiritual Rest
The final type of rest is spiritual rest, which is the ability to go beyond your body and mind to allow you to feel deep feelings of love, acceptance, and purpose. Prayer, meditation, or community activities can be incorporated into daily life.
As seen above, sleep alone cannot restore us to a state of complete rest. So now is the time we start focusing on getting the right type of rest we need. Start helping yourself by just a simple change on your daily routine, it is not expensive, doesnt require too much spare time, but you will be surprised by the changes you obtained from it.
Finally, fatigue can of course also be health related, so if the situation persists, you might need to seed a physician to arrange a checking.
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