Humans are not designed to work all day long without having rest sessions in between. You need time for rejuvenation. It allows your body and mind to heal and renew itself to function again. In other words, it promotes mental health, boosts creativity, improves your mood, boosts creativity, reduces stress, improves focus, and a lot more. Especially with the ongoing pandemic, rest is more important than ever with the rise in anxiety and uncertainty. Here are 7 types of rest you need!
7 Types of Rest You Need
1. Physical Rest
Struggling to keep your eyes open? Yawning more than working? You are in dire need of physical rest. Physical rest is any activity that releases fatigue and restores energy in your body. It is needed to repair our mind and body from daily wear and tear. Physical rest can be passive or active. Passive physical rest can look like sleeping the right amount of hours at the right time during the night or napping during the day. Practicing sleep hygiene is vital for both physical and mental health. Active physical rest includes yoga, breathwork, stretching, and massage therapy. This will help improve the blood circulation in your body, de-stress and improve your mood.
2. Mental Rest
Zoning out every time you sit to read? Need a huge cup of coffee to get through the day? If the answer is yes to any of the two questions, you need mental rest. Not giving your mind rest, can negatively affect your mood, immune system, stress level, and memory. Scheduling short breaks every two hours throughout your productivity hours, repeating encouraging mantras, spending time in nature, listening to calming music, turning off devices for a while, and engaging in a grounding activity can help in giving the needed downtime to your mind. Keeping a notebook on your bedside table jot down all the thoughts can help calm your mind and help fall asleep at night.
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3. Social Rest
Socialising can be exhausting and sometimes you just need to pour your heart out without giving explanations. Social rest is being able to meaningfully interact with someone else or one’s own self without any rejection or disapproval. It could be with a family member, a trusted friend, a counselor, or your own self. To indulge in social rest, spend more time with those who nourish and inspire you and less time with those who may deplete you, or perhaps take time off from socialising and reconnect with yourself by spending some ‘me time’.
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4. Creative Rest
Experiencing writer’s block or art block? Chances are you’ve exhausted your creative thinking and need creative rest. Give yourself a break by reading something inspiring, appreciating music or art, watching something uplifting, taking a walk outside and enjoying nature, or anything that helps you let go of the pressure to create. Surround yourself with things that make you feel good to replenish those creative resources and find inspiration again.
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5. Sensory Rest
Eyes burning because of long screen time? Feeling overwhelmed with the noises on the street? You need to take sensory rest. This can be performed by closing your eyes for a few minutes during the day, incorporating moments of silence within your day, and limiting time on electronic devices. You can also try intentionally unplugging by turning down bright lights or loud sounds, trying aromatherapy, and give your senses time to fully relax and recharge.
6. Spiritual Rest
Spiritual rest is one of the types of rest you need if you ever feel helpless, trapped, and hopeless. It doesn’t mean practicing your religion instead it is about finding your purpose and feeling anchored. It is the state of a deep sense of belonging, love, affection, acceptance, and purpose. This can be achieved by engaging in meditating, praying, associating with like-minded people, and volunteering your time to serve others. You can also try listening to spiritual talks, reading spiritual texts, or spending time in spiritual environments.
7. Emotional Rest
The last type of rest you may need is emotional rest. Emotional rest is the ability to be authentic and express yourself. You can do so by journaling, painting, dancing, seeking therapy, or having a heart-to-heart with someone you trust. This is one of the most important rest and its deprivation could lead to depression. So surround yourself with people you can 100% yourself around, set boundaries, learn to say ‘no’ if you have to, and freely express yourself with no fear.
In this fast-moving world, it is important to sometimes take a step back and just pause to give your mind and body time to heal. Sleep is one of the common ways to heal but alone cannot restore us to the state of feeling rested. Hence, it is important to understand the types of rest you need and begin focusing on them.
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