Are You Getting These 7 Types of Rest?
“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” -Brené Brown
In our 20’s, my husband and I climbed many a mountain. Most weekends you could find us headed for the mountains straight from work on Fridays with a trunk full of climbing and mountaineering gear.
Our longest expedition was on Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska. We were on the mountain for three weeks and every day – every thing – was meticulously planned. Not just the route we would take and the gear we needed. I mean EVERYTHING. We counted out baby wipes and scheduled which days we would use one to “bathe.” We cut toothbrushes in half to save weight and weighed our water, food, and toothpaste. Everything was painstakingly deliberate.
And that included rest days. Like any athlete will tell you, rest is an essential part of training and so it was with us. We scheduled rest days into our training schedule as well as into the climb itself. We knew exactly which days were for climbing and caching gear, and which were for resting and acclimating to the altitude.
Our mantra was, “Climb high, sleep low.” We would spend a day climbing to the next camp to stash food and gear, then descend back to a lower elevation to sleep and acclimate. This way of climbing was essential in order to get our bodies adjusted to the new altitude, but it also meant we were climbing many sections of the mountain twice.
With all of that climbing and acclimating, our bodies desperately needed adequate rest and we knew we would have to schedule it in. Without these full days of planned rest and recovery, our bodies would have been unable to perform in the ways we needed them to and things could have quickly become dangerous and life-threatening.
Our daily lives rarely require this type of complete scheduled rest, but even the smaller breaks and breathers we need can feel challenging to justify. But if find yourself feeling drained and exhausted no matter how much sleep you get, you might just need some good old-fashioned rest. And while many of us confuse the two, there’s a difference between rest and sleep. Sleep is just one piece of the resting puzzle.
Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., is an internal medicine physician and the author of “Sacred Rest.” In her research, she has identified seven types of rest that everyone requires: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, and creative. If you have a deficit in one of these areas, you’re likely to have specific symptoms that go along with that area.
Finding it difficult to concentrate or feeling hypercritical and judgmental? Get some mental rest. Feeling untethered or like you’ve lost your sense of purpose? Spiritual rest. Not only does imbalance in each area show up in its own unique way, but you’ll need to approach each area differently in order to bring it back into balance.
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN…
- Physical Rest: Resting to relieve the body of physical stress, such as muscle tension, headaches, and a lack of sleep. This can be passive or active. If you’re feeling physically drained, you may need an extra 30 minutes of sleep each night or a nap (passive), a few deep breaths, a massage, a walk outside, or some stretching or yoga – all active physical rest.
- Mental Rest: Resting to silence your anxious mind and refocus to the things that are important. Try a simple mindfulness meditation to intentionally switch off the brain and set aside thoughts and worries. A run has a similar effect. Because it’s so repetitive, your brain doesn’t have to think about it and can wander and relax.
- Spiritual Rest: Resting to tune into your sense of purpose and higher power. You can find moments of peace, belonging, and meaning through prayer, volunteering, meditation, retreats, or working on a mission close to your heart.
- Emotional Rest: Resting so you’ll be able to express genuine feelings and manage any people-pleasing tendencies. Find ways to refill your emotional tank. Find time for quiet introspection, to ground yourself, and check in with your emotional needs and limits. And don’t forget the self-care; whatever that looks like for YOU!
- Social Rest: Resting so you can recognize which relationships are replenishing, and limit exposure to folks who sap your energy. This might look like a temporary departure from social interaction (super important for us introverts!) or making sure we’re spending time with people who inspire and support us. This can also mean setting boundaries in relationship dynamics that drain our energy.
- Sensory Rest: Resting to diminish sensory input received from devices, aromas, and background noise. Schedule stimulation-free periods throughout the day. Literally unplug, close your eyes, find somewhere quiet and give yourself a moment to digest all that data. A good workout, a hike, journaling, or simply getting outside for some fresh air can work wonders.
- Creative Rest: Resting to allow beauty to inspire and motivate. Take a break from your own creativity and look to the creativity of others. Look for situations that inspire and fire up your wonder and awe. The beauty of nature is a great place to start. You can also listen to a symphony, read a great book, or visit an art museum.
These are just a few ideas for inviting more rest into your life. I encourage you to find what is restful TO YOU for each type. Keep it simple. Include your family – they could probably use some intentional rest, too. Understand that you will always feel too busy to rest and that it might need to be planned intentionally.
The benefits of concentrated intentional rest are many: a healthier body, less stress, deeper relationships, opportunity for reflection, balance, increased production, and an energy reserve for life’s emergencies.
In our culture there is a clear expectation to maintain a certain level of productivity, hustle, and busyness. It takes practice to be able to rest fully without the guilty of feeling unproductive or lazy. Keep at it. You’ll get there, one rest at a time, and you will arrive on the other side clearer, brighter, and more resilient. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.
Additional Resources:
Here’s a TEDx talk by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. “The Real Reason Why We Are Tired and What to Do About It.”
And if you’re the type that likes online quizzes, HERE’S ONE that will help you pinpoint the type of rest you need.
