Sleep Is Not Enough: Here Are 7 Types of Rest That Your Body Needs

When we think about the word 'rest', our minds tend to immediately think of sleep or relaxation. Or simply ceasing all movement and activity altogether. You may be wondering why you’re still so exhausted. Even after getting your required 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. The truth is our bodies desire rest in various different areas. Not just with things like sleep. In her book Sacred Rest, board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith reveals the Seven Types of Rest. A revolutionary breakthrough that has made us reinvent our idea of relaxation and recovery. Here are 7 types of rest that you can incorporate into your life to truly allow your mind and body to heal after a stressful day or week. Physical Rest While other kinds of rest are important, sleep is probably the first one that you should address. If you have problems going to sleep, staying asleep or getting enough sleep, it’s time to reassess your life choices. Sleep hygiene is probably the most important part about physical rest. Reducing screen time, stress, coffee consumption and yes, even social media can do wonders for your sleep. But that’s not all. There are two kinds of physical rest: active rest and passive rest. Napping and sleeping are considered passive rest, but active rest if important too. These are the kinds of restorative activities that get your body moving, or at the very least, stimulated. Yoga, massages, stretching and even going for slow walks are all types of active rest. Ever wondered why you’re still tired after spending all day at a desk job? It’s probably because you may not be engaging in active rest. Mental Rest Our minds are constantly working 24/7, even when we’re relaxing on the sofa, watching TV. Some people are so used to their stressful, burnout lifestyles that even sitting down for some personal time can seem blasphemous. Feelings of guilt, shame, restlessness and fear often take over. Even when we think we’re 'resting', we’re never truly able to relax, or we’re always doing something else that requires our physical, mental or emotional energy—like watching movies, for instance. Therefore, try unplugging from the world and 'zoning out'. What the Italians call Dolce Far Niente or “the sweetness of doing nothing”. Lie in the grass and watch the clouds or the trees. The trick is to simply let your mind wander without worrying about anything. Meditation, journaling and reflection are also wonderful examples of mental rest. Emotional Rest We’re often slaves to our emotions and it does not help that outrage culture is so popular right now. We’re reactive, easily triggered and resentful of things that are out of our control. Even positive emotions can be harmful. Chasing pleasure, happiness and satisfaction all the time dampens your dopamine receptors. This results in a sort of blunting effect. Things that used to excite and entertain you no longer do. So, you continue seeking more intense and extreme forms of enjoyment. This often correlates back to how you achieve mental rest, because our emotions and thoughts are two sides of the same coin. Unplugging from social media is a good way to help regulate your emotions. This way, you’re not constantly being bombarded by comedy, tragedy and useless information back-to-back in a vicious cycle. Nothing short circuits your emotional receptors like juggling various intense emotions at high-speed. It’s particularly worse if you’re naturally empathetic. You feel other people’s joys and sorrows as clearly as if they were your own. No wonder you’re exhausted. While we're on the topic, don't be afraid to cut off toxic and emotionally-draining people from your life. Saying "No" is a form of self-care. Social Rest When we talk about taking a break from your social life, it doesn’t necessarily mean shutting yourself up in your room and avoiding the world like a hermit. However, disengaging from social situations and events is important as well, of course. To recharge your social battery, especially if you’re an introvert and being in social situations can sometimes be stressful. You may be analysing so much body language and keeping up with multiple topics; all while worrying about what your friends think about you. Being around toxic friends and 'energy vampires' can be especially draining. So, it’s no surprise why some people think about self-isolation when they think about social rest. But on the other hand, spending intimate, quality time with a loved one can be just as rejuvenating. We humans tend to hunger for community and connection. So, if you’re actually deprived of these things, you may actually find socialising stimulating and even healing. Especially if the people you spend time with are positive, accepting and familiar. Or you can just sit at home, with a good book, away from all the drama. Sensory Rest Our surroundings are constantly saturated with so much distracting stimuli: loud noise, bright lights, and even pungent smells. It can get overwhelming. Even when we’re no longer exposed to them, the stressful effects can linger on throughout the day, no matter how desensitised you are. But it’s worse if you’re particularly sensitive to your environment. For instance, some people may struggle a lot of with mysophobia (sensitivity to sounds) and photosensitivity (sensitivity to light). This relates back to phone and device screens. Aside from wreaking havoc on our emotional and mental health, social media and smart phones bombard us with so much excess stimuli. So, if you’re wondering why you’re still exhausted even after not doing anything the entire day, it may be because you’ve been spending too much time on your phone. If you want to relax, turn on some slow, relaxing music, and turn the lights down low. Creative Rest An often-overlooked part of relaxation is creative rest. The human spirit is inherently creative and to deny yourself the experience of creating beauty and art is truly a shame. But you don’t have to create exquisite masterpieces to rejuvenate your dull life. As mentioned, it’s the experience that’s important, not the result. And it honestly doesn’t take much artistic skill to doodle or draw on a blank paper. A very minimalist method of achieving creative rest is through colouring books. Yes, there are plenty of colouring books for adults on the market. You can use either paint, colour pencils or markers. Anything that’s convenient. If you have a penchant for writing, performing, music, sculpting, knitting etc, these can also be your creative outlets. So, if you’ve abandoned your creative hobbies for so long, maybe now’s the time to rediscover them. Spiritual Rest Dr. Saundra is a firm believer in the healing powers of faith. However, she recognises that many of her readers may be agnostics or atheists who do not subscribe to conventional belief systems. That said, there are still ways to be spiritual without being religious. After all, many people struggle with religious trauma. But if you are religious, then it’s definitely ideal to pray per your beliefs. If you’re not, there are still ways to 'connect with the universe', so to speak. There will likely always be certain places, activities or things that invoke such an unexplainable 'numinous' feeling within you. Whether that’s the forest, the beach, a lake, or even a silent, secluded spot in your home. Even contemplating the beauty of nature and your place in the cosmos can be a spiritual experience for many people. Acts of pampering and self-care, performed as if in a ritual setting (lighting candles, burning incense, etc) can also be spiritually uplifting. If you want take it a step further, you can 'consecrate' a special nook in your house as your designated 'sacred space'. And of course, things like meditation are definitely very spiritual, because it allows you to re-connect with yourself. Treat your body like a temple, and that may just help you achieve this much-needed spiritual rest. Reinventing our Concept of 'Rest' Dr. Saundra proposes that the reason why so many of us feel tired all the time nowadays is because we are depleted not only of energy, but of peace, meaning, community and self-love. Things that are truly important for building a fulfilling, happy and healthy life. There may not be much scientific backing behind the idea of us needing 7 Types of Rest. But the concept is sound and relatively beneficial. After all, what’s the harm in a little self-care? So, try out some of these tips and who knows, they may just change your life forever. For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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