We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals. We’re suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest. Have you ever felt so tired even after getting 8 hours of sleep? That’s because it’s not just physical rest we need. There are different types of rest our body needs. Rest should equal restoration in seven key areas of your life.
PHYSICAL REST
Passive physical rest includes sleeping and napping, while active physical rest means restorative activities such as yoga, stretching and massage therapy that help improve the body’s circulation and flexibility.
MENTAL REST
Schedule short breaks every 2 hours throughout your workday. These will remind you to slow down. You can also keep a note pad beside your bed to jot down any nagging thoughts at night that keep you awake. Despite sleeping seven to eight hours, if wakes up feeling as if someone never went to bed. He has a mental rest deficit.
SENSORY REST
Bright lights, screens, Zoom conversations can cause us to feel overwhelmed. Close your eyes for a minute in the middle of the day to reset the overstimulation. You can also unplug from devices at the end of the day. 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. Intentional moments of sensory deprivation can begin to undo the damage inflicted by the over-stimulating world.
CREATIVE REST
This type of rest is especially important for anyone who must solve problems or brainstorm new ideas. Creative rest reawakens the awe and wonder inside each of us. Necessary when you’re doing creative work, brainstorming, and you feel like your brain cells have dried up. This will reset the awe and wonder in you. Allowing yourself to take in the beauty of the outdoors even if it’s at a local park or in your backyard provides you with creative rest. But creative rest isn’t simply about appreciating nature; it also includes enjoying the arts. Turn your workspace into a place of inspiration by displaying images of places you love and works of art that speak to you; surroundings and expect to feel passionate about anything, much less come up with innovative ideas.
EMOTIONAL REST
Applicable for people who fall into the trap of people-pleasing. You say yes to everything even if you are depleted. Now let’s take a look at another individual the friend whom everyone thinks is the nicest person they’ve ever met. It’s the person everyone depends on, the one you’d call if you needed a favor because even if they don’t want to do it, you know they’ll give you a reluctant “yes” rather than a truthful “no”. But when this person is alone, they feel unappreciated and like others are taking advantage of them. This person requires emotional rest, which 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
If you’re in need of emotional rest, you probably have a social rest deficit too. This occurs when we fail to differentiate between those relationships that revive us from those relationships that exhaust us. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Look for a support group who will listen to you. Let your hair down and allow yourself to unload. To experience more social rest, surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Even if your interactions have to occur virtually, you can choose to engage more fully in them by turning on your camera and focusing on who you’re speaking to.
SPIRITUAL REST
The final type of rest is spiritual rest, which is the ability to connect beyond the physical and mental and feel a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose. Engage in something greater than yourself. Include prayer, reflection, meditation, and community involvement. To receive this, engage in something greater than yourself and add prayer, meditation or community involvement to your daily routine.
As you can see, sleep alone can’t restore us to the point we feel rested. So it’s time for us to begin focusing on getting the right type of rest we need.
Authored by Dr Anadi Sahoo
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