You are resting for 6 to 8 hours daily by taking nap and still waking up feeling like hit by a train — tired and exhausted.
Have you ever wondered why is that so?
The question is are you getting the right type of rest… YES, you read it correctly it’s not necessarily physical and mental rest is the type of rest your body demands. We are living fast pace life juggling responsibilities and gadgets draining our energy, due to the rapid change in our life and daily routine, your body demands more than physical rest.
According to research, there are seven types of rest a human body require
- Physical Rest
- Mental Rest
- Sensory Rest
- Creative Rest
- Emotional Rest
- Spiritual Rest
- Social Rest
Physical Rest:
As the term implies it is giving your body time out by going to sleep. There are two types of physical rest that are active or passive. Passive physical rest is when you unload the pressure and restore energy by laying down and taking a nap. While active physical rest on the other hand is doing restorative activities such as yoga, stretching, or massage therapy that helps improve the body’s circulation and flexibility.
Mental Rest
We are living in an era when we are racing with technology every day. Sometimes it seems difficult to shut off our brain at night when we have to sleep, and we end waking up tired in the morning. Our brain demands rest, so for mental rest what you have to do is to use your phone or computer to schedule a ten-minute break every two hours. During that break, take a quick walk, grab a snack, take deep breaths and use it as your time to rest and reset. This will help you to be ready for another two hours of productive work. And if you’re having an extra stressful day, it may be beneficial to pull the plug on technology entirely. We can also rest our minds by being unavailable for some time and disconnecting from the internet, social media, and our emails.
Sensory Rest
Our senses are been overwhelmed by tons of stimuli around us the whole day long. If we look around all those bright lights in the room, screens around us, sound from the street, background noise from conversations in the office or dog and toddler playing at home, and much more, all this if left unchecked can lead to sensory overload syndrome. This can be countered by doing something as simple as closing your eyes for a minute in the middle of the day, as well as by intentionally unplugging from electronics at the end of every day.
Creative Rest
If your job requires creative components like brainstorming ideas, problem-solving, pitch meetings, etc. A time comes when you will feel creatively drained. It’s very important to schedule in time for creative rest. To reawakens the awe and wonder inside, you can take a walk in nature and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. Reading a book, dancing to your favorite song, or watching your favorite movie. Moreover turning your workspace and living-space into a piece of art by decorating them with images of places you visited or will love to visit. Hanging art pieces that inspire you and speak to you. Rearranging and organizing physical elements around you. This all will help to make those creative juices flowing again.
Emotional Rest
If you are a peoples person — a teacher, activist, caretaker, parent, or the one using a lot of emotional energy throughout the day. Your emotional brain could probably use a pause. Being a people pleaser and saying yes to everyone when they need you or are just using you when then they need, will make you emotionally exhausted by leaving you with a feeling of unwontedness. In such case you need to take a “Yes” break that is, instead of listening and being available for everyone give yourself a break by saying “I need to think about it”, “I will get back to you”,” Lets me get free then we will discuss”.
Emotional rest means having the time and space to freely express your feelings and cut back on people-pleasing. Emotional rest also requires the courage to be authentic. An emotionally rested person can answer the question “How are you today?” with a truthful “I’m not okay” — and then go on to share some hard things that otherwise go unsaid.
Social Rest
You are social rest deficit when you feel emotionally exhausted. Whether you’re an introvert or just feeling weighed down by the expectations of people in your life. This occurs when we fail to differentiate between those relationships that revive us from those relationships that exhaust us. To experience more social rest, surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Make a list of people whom you find supportive, easy to express yourself, and comfortable being around. Also make a list of people whom you find draining, demanding, and exhausting to hang out with. It’s time to spend more time with the first group, and as little time with the latter group as possible.
Spiritual Rest
Spiritual rest is the ability to connect beyond the physical and mental. After achieving a big goal in life by working hard day and night you feel disconnected from the rest of the world. Spiritual rest is achieved by reconnecting to a feeling of a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance, and purpose. To receive this, engage in something greater than yourself and add prayer, meditation, or community involvement to your daily routine.
Wait, How Do I Know What Type of Rest I Need?
At one point or another, you’re going to need every type of rest on this list. You probably need more than one type of rest right this second. But depending on what you’re currently spending your day doing, and how you’ve been feeling about what’s on your plate is a huge clue. Do you dread going to work, because you feel like a zombie all day? It’s time for mental or sensory rest. Are you procrastinating finishing your screenplay because negative thoughts keep creeping in? Creative rest time. Did you just spend eight months planning your wedding and never want to hear the word “catering” ever again? Spiritual rest is calling.