Have you ever woken up from a full night’s sleep and still felt exhausted? Spent the whole day on the sofa, but are no more relaxed or rested than you were at the start of the day?
Us too.
And the reason? We’re not resting… correctly.
Yeah, we know! Another article telling you that you’re doing something wrong – but we promise that this is something we all do, and it becomes more and more ingrained in us as society glorifies productivity and being busy all the time.
Sleep is seen as the best way to rest, and it is essential for our wellbeing, but it is not the catch all answer to our energy issues that we are led to believe. Whilst aiming for more sleep can benefit our health in lots of ways, it is not enough on its own to restore us, because it turns out, there are different types of rest!
The Modern Fatigue Problem
According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, there are seven types of rest. These include Physical Rest, but also Mental, Emotional, Sensory, Creative, Social and Spiritual Rest. Ever heard the phrase: You can’t pour from an empty cup? Well, this is exactly the principle that Dr. Dalton-Smith covers.
Physical rest includes sleep; however, it also includes what we know as active rest. This can be a gentle activity such as yoga or even just a walk at lunchtime. Anything that helps you feel more refreshed and improves blood flow throughout your body can significantly contribute to your overall well-being.
Mental and Sensory Rest: Giving Your Brain a Break
Mental and sensory rest are linked. During our days, we are constantly bombarded with notifications, bright lights and busy schedules. This can lead to us feeling overwhelmed or unable to turn our brains off. Taking regular breaks away from our desks and shutting out some of the noise in our day can help, but we know this is easier said than done.
We recommend setting aside some time every day to switch off devices, turn down the noise and take a few deep breaths. This can help you recharge your batteries and improve overall productivity!
Social Rest: Protecting Your Energy
Humans are social creatures, and social interactions can often be energising and fulfilling, but for some, they can also be equally draining. Spending time with people who fill your cup rather than empty it is one great way to take care of yourself or even taking time to be alone if that is what you need. While it’s not always possible to block out negativity, or toxic people completely, setting boundaries and prioritising your social well-being, will help you be more present for those who deserve your time and attention.
This also feeds into spiritual rest, which can be as simple as it sounds. If you’re someone who practices a faith, then spending time amongst your community and celebrating that is fantastic for your spiritual health. But, if you’re not, finding other things that bring meaning, fulfilment and to your life such as community work or anything that gives you the sense that you’re part of something bigger than yourself.
We recommend meditation, taking a walk in nature, or even starting a gratitude journal.
Emotional Rest: Processing, Not Suppressing
This leads us to emotional rest. Emotional rest means allowing yourself to feel and express emotions in a healthy way. We’re constantly on the go, and emotions can sometimes seem inconvenient. We stuff everything down and endeavour to deal with it later, but that often doesn’t happen, and can lead to longer term emotional distress.
Some people may choose to share their thoughts and feelings with a friend, or even a therapist. Others prefer to journal, or meditate. Whichever you choose, we promise that taking the time to nurture your emotional wellbeing will always be time well spent.
Creative Rest: Reigniting Inspiration
The final type of rest is creative rest, and it is probably one of the easiest to incorporate into your daily life. Take some time away from analytics and problem-solving, and do something creative.
Adults often overlook the need for creative downtime and view it as somewhat childish, but it’s important to engage in creativity – and did you know, that it can actually improve your problem-solving skills? It can be as simple as reading a book or trying out a new creative hobby to get those ideas flowing!
Why Proper Rest Leads to More Energy
By now, we’re sure it has become obvious that each of these pillars work in connection with each other to restore and energise you. If one area is depleted, the rest starts to fall down too.
We know it can seem counterintuitive to drop everything and rest when you are busy, but the truth is that we’re becoming more burned out, and over time, this can lead to lower productivity anyway.
So if you want to be more energised and ready to tackle tasks, ask yourself… which type of rest am I missing?
