Self-Care - The seven types of REST
In these unprecedented times it is more important than ever that we rest in order to help us feel as refreshed as we can do and to recharge our batteries.
According to Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Renew Your Sanity, humans require: physical, mental, social, creative, emotional, spiritual and sensory rest. For many of us, when we think about rest, our approach may be one-sided, we may for example sit back and not do anything, and think that’s what rest is. We may try it and if we still feel unrested we may think it is not working. We may wake after sleeping still feeling exhausted, the issue is likely not to be sleep, and there may be an opportunity to explore other ways to rest. Getting the proper type of rest requires us to identify what we may be missing, for example if it may be mental rest that we are missing out on, we might have difficulty with concentration. When we have considered what type of rest we may need, it could be time to adapt our rest to fit that need.
There’s a brief description of each of the ‘types’ of rest below that you may wish to consider and explore where opportunities for rest may be for you. You’ll notice that there’s quite a bit of overlap between the 7 types of rest and the most important thing to remember is that we’re all individual and what works for some won’t work for all.
Physical Rest If you feel like you are physically exhausted you may be struggling to keep your eyes open, and even walking to bed may feel like moving through quicksand. The most common form of physical rest is sleep, so you may wish to consider going to bed a little earlier, if possible. What’s just been said probably sounds pretty obvious, but catching up on physical rest can also mean taking deep breaths during the work day, or making time for a restorative virtual yoga class to give your body some time to stretch. You may also wish to consider other gentle movement such as a gentle walk, or other gentle physical exercise or try out meditation.
Mental Rest You may realise you’ve been staring at the same page of a book for 10 minutes, or just sent a barely-comprehensible email. The next time you need a mental break, you could try to turn off your screens and take a few moments to ground yourself. Break times are so important, it’s easier said than done, but remember- you can’t pour from an empty cup! Perhaps consider ways you could add in some mental rest during the day, maybe stopping to take time to eat together with those around you. Maybe sitting outside for 15 minutes to have a cup of coffee before your day starts? It goes without saying but taking a break when you can, and also trying to take your annual leave and pacing yourself is vital.
Social Rest For you, social rest might mean catching up with an old friend (probably virtually at the present time!) who knows the way you think and feel without any lengthy explanation. Or, perhaps it’s just taking a night off from socialising (albeit virtually at the time being!) and reconnecting with yourself. How you choose social rest is very personal to you and will depend on your preferences, for example if you are an extrovert or introvert.
Creative Rest Chances are, you are using your creativity more often than you think. Do you map out solutions at work, or put together plans for times to come? You’re tapping into creative thinking—and putting yourself in need of creative rest. You may wish to consider arts and crafts such as drawing and making, but creative rest is not limited to arts and crafts! You may wish to consider going for a walk if you are able to do so, or read an engrossing book, do some gardening ……….or simply daydream for a little while.
Emotional Rest It’s important to acknowledge how you are feeling and doing and to give yourself the space and time in which you are able to do that – you may wish to for example open up to a willing listener, then keep talking to prevent emotional overload. That could mean scheduling regular coaching sessions, or finding people with whom you can be 100% yourself. For others it may mean sitting in the bath with some candles, or a walk on your own. Again this very much so depends on your own preferences. It is important to remember that putting boundaries around our wellbeing is really important for emotional rest, for example by being proactive and blocking out time in your diary, or by prioritising spending an evening a week a particular way e.g. film night! It is also about being able to say no to people and to keeping some time for yourself.
Spiritual Rest Are you perhaps feeling afloat, unanchored, alone? You may be in need of some spiritual rest. That could mean practicing your religion if you have one, it could also mean seeking out a sense of purpose, something to ground you and provide a little context. Volunteering (under appropriate circumstances) might help you find that spark, as could chatting with a friend about the current state of the world. Time spent in nature and also meditation are other potential opportunities for spiritual rest.
Sensory Rest You could catch up on sensory rest by putting aside the technology. Try and remember to check in with yourself before reaching for the remote on nights “off” and consider if staring at a screen really is the rest you need. Sensory rest can be for any of the 5 senses- you may wish to consider a good, old-fashioned book or taking the time out to really savor and what you are doing, be it what you are eating, enjoying aromatherapy or scented candles.
Source: https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/the-7-types-of-rest-you-need-to-actually-feel-recharged/
