Have you ever had an experience where you felt like the universe was sending you a specific message – a cheat code to solving a problem you were having – that was meant only for you if you were present enough in that moment to receive it? I will have these magical moments usually when I’m in a yoga class because, in all likelihood, it’s the one and only place my mind is finally quiet, still, and focused. There is one moment that stands out in particular because it has had a life-altering impact on my daily life and my physical and mental wellness.
A few years back, I was completely burned out, exhausted, and depleted. I couldn’t understand why. My young kids were sleeping through the night, and I was finally back to getting 7-8 hours of sleep consistently, but something was still off. Before a random yoga class, I was lying on my mat working through the possible reasons why I was still feeling rundown and fatigued. Just as I was confirming it wasn’t COVID with the highly scientific method of discretely checking to see if I could still smell my deodorant, the teacher began class. She introduced herself, put us into savasana and gently said, “sleep and rest are not the same thing.” She went on to briefly explain that there were many different types of rest and yoga was a strategy for one of them. I cautiously opened my eyes to verify that I didn’t fall to sleep, and that she wasn’t staring directly at me because it makes total sense that all mind readers have to look directly at the person they’re reading. I wasn’t dreaming and she wasn’t looking at me therefore she obviously couldn’t be a mind reader. I took a deep breath in and out, my heart rate returned to normal, and I closed my eyes again, but the message had been received.
In her book, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith details years of research on rest, the seven different types, identifying which one you need at a given moment, and daily strategies in those areas to stay on top of your personal and professional game. Let's get into them.
The 7 Types of Rest
Physical Rest
Physical rest has two components – active and passive. Sleeping and napping are considered passive, physical rest. (If you’re having difficulties with sleep, this blog post can help.) Active physical rest includes yoga, massage, walking, stretching, practicing good posture. Activities that move and stretch your body and improve fluid and energetic circulation and flexibility.
Signs you are in an active, physical rest deficit: body aches and pains, poor posture, swelling in your extremities, muscle spasms.
Mental Rest
My inner monologue (I’ve named it Bob) is incessant, ceaseless, exhausting. Did you know there are real people walking among us that don’t have their very own Bob? I imagine they are those unicorn-like people that radiate calm, always look put together, living in the present moment, moving at this graceful pace, and speaking with the loveliest tone. James Taylor, Morgan Freeman, and Kate Hudson come to mind. Baby steps toward the present moment. Baby steps toward the present moment.
Mental rest is resting to silence your active mind and refocus on the things that are important. It allows the brain to replenish the stores of attention and motivation, encourages creativity and productivity, allows the brain to form stable memories, and is essential to achieve our highest levels of performance in all aspects of daily life. The good news is you don't need to quit your day job or go on a 90-day silence retreat to Mexico unless you want to. Meditate, schedule short breaks throughout your day to remind yourself to slow down, take a 10-minute nap to restore your brain neurons to their factory settings, and download all the things that are nagging you and taking up space in your brain onto a piece of paper.
Signs you're in a mental rest deficit: struggle with concentration and recall, wake up tired despite 7-8 hours of sleep, struggle to quiet brain chatter.
Spiritual Rest
No matter your beliefs, the core of spiritual rest is the feeling that we belong, we are accepted, that our life has meaning and purpose. Engage in something greater than you, find a way to connect with meaning by understanding your personal values and aligning your daily activities with them.
Signs you're in a spiritual rest deficit: not living with intention and purpose, feeling replaceable, every day feels like Groundhog Day.
Social Rest
If you are in need of emotional rest, you most likely have a social rest deficit as well. If you have kids, a partner, co-workers, family and friends, you are spending time with people who pull your energy. Not that it is always a negative thing - they need something from you - but you need to be aware of the relationships that revive you and the relationships that exhaust you and the relationships that do both. You can't always be the one pouring out for everyone else. Surround yourself with people that give as well as take, that fill your cup, and choose relationships that are positive and supportive.
Signs you're in a social rest deficit: you feel like everyone is taking from you and not giving, feeling resentful.
Sensory Rest
Bright, artificial lighting, the person that can't stop sneezing, the random ding of another phone notification, a car alarm, the clothing tag that scratches at your neck, strong fragrances, speaker phones (no one wants to hear your conversation), your husband absentmindedly scratching, a metal spoon repeatedly scraping the sides of a bowl, and the impossible-to-find strand of hair caught inside your shirt are all a constant assault on our senses. Can you tell this is personal for me? Whether or not you are consciously aware of them or not, your body and brain are responding. Some people more than others. (It's me. Hi, I'm the problem.) Many of us don't realize we are overwhelmed by this constant barrage until we feel an unexplained irritability or burst of anger or anxiety. Create intentional moments of sensory deprivation by turning off the phone, music, the lights, buy earplugs, or just simply close your eyes in the middle of the day.
Signs you're in a sensory rest deficit: unexplained irritability, anger or anxiety, headache, difficulty focusing.
Emotional Rest
Emotional rest involves taking intentional steps to regain a sense of inner peace and balance. Just as our bodies need to rest and recover after a hard workout, our emotions need downtime to recover from people and the challenges of daily life. The most important step to take in gaining emotional rest is to set clear boundaries around your time and energy.
Signs you're in an emotional rest deficit: feeling underappreciated and taken advantage of, people-pleasing, inauthenticity, difficulty saying "no"
Creative Rest
A brilliant poet wrote, "The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." No, it's not Swift. It's the other lyrical genius, Yeats. It's so easy to get wrapped up in life's daily grind and the phone that we forget the awe and wonder that surrounds us. Finding beauty and magic in the everyday fuels our gratitude, feeds our imagination and renews our energy to be creative and innovative. Enjoy art and music, put down the phone and look around at the trees, birds, sky, surround yourself with beautiful things that inspire you in your home and workspaces.
Signs you are in a creative rest deficit: difficulties feeling grateful, loss of value and purpose in your personal or professional life, difficulties brainstorming and problem-solving.
For those of you who love a good online quiz (Who doesn't?), Dr. Dalton-Smith developed a series of questions to narrow down the areas in your life that could use a little TLC. (Find the quiz here.) It will identify the area(s) of highest deficit so you can start implementing one or two of the tactics and strategies.
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