Women have a lot on their plates. It can be difficult to remember that rest is an essential part of preparing yourself for life’s joys and challenges.
You may know the importance of sleeping and relaxing, but did you know that you need seven types of rest?
In Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith writes about the types of rest and how they benefit you.
Here are the seven types of rest every woman can benefit from:
1. Physical rest
Physical rest is all about resting your body.
Your body goes through various processes each day so you can function. The body needs rest to heal from the stresses of the day and give you a reset for what’s to come.
Exercising and eating well boosts your immune system and improves your quality of rest. Try getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Sleeping and napping are considered passive physical rest. Restorative practices like yoga and massage are active physical rest.
2. Emotional rest
Keeping your emotions inside for too long uses up a lot of energy. Emotional rest involves taking the time to process those emotions so you can let go of them.
Keeping pent-up emotions inside can affect you both mentally and physically.
Whether you choose to write about your emotions, cry, move your body, or talk to a friend, this rest helps you release the feelings weighing you down.
3. Creative rest
You use your creativity when you have to come up with new ideas or solutions to problems. Using your creative energy at work or with your family could lead to burnout.
Getting creative rest is about regaining inspiration. Try doing something different to get your creative juices flowing and to find inspiration when you’re stuck in an unmotivated rut.
Drawing, reading, painting, or listening to music could all be creative rest. Just make sure that whatever you do for creative rest is something you enjoy.
4. Social rest
At work, with family, or in public, you’re bound to have negative social interactions from time to time. Spending time around negative people can drain your energy and patience.
Social rest means spending time away from that negativity. Social rest could also mean getting some much-needed alone time if you’re an introvert.
Equally, social rest could mean spending time with people who give you energy and bring out the best in you.
5. Mental rest
Between work, family, self-care, and activities, there’s a lot that can fill your mind. If you find yourself overwhelmed, you likely need some mental rest – the kind of rest that gives your mind a break from thinking and focusing too hard.
Mental rest is what your mind and body get when you clear your thoughts from the things that overwhelm you.
Walking, meditating, and reading a book are all great ways to get mental rest. Whatever helps you relax can provide you with the mental rest needed to continue taking on the world.
6. Sensory rest
Your senses are always active and can overload you with sights, sounds, smells, and textures. Whether through crowds or your devices, your senses need a break from time to time.
Getting sensory rest means separating yourself from sources of external stimuli. This could mean relaxing in a quiet room, taking a walk through nature, practising meditation, or doing a digital detox.
By separating yourself from the stimuli you encounter, you are giving your senses a well-needed rest.
7. Spiritual rest
Spiritual rest means connecting to something outside yourself. This can mean practising religion, volunteering in your local community, or engaging in mindfulness.
Getting spiritual rest renews your sense of purpose, through caring for others or connecting to a higher power. It’s about appreciating something bigger than yourself, which helps you feel gratified.
Getting enough rest
It may seem overwhelming, but fitting all seven types of rest into your schedule will benefit your health.
If you’re lacking many types of rest, consider incorporating one kind at a time until you’ve balanced them all. You will be better prepared, mentally and physically, to take on the world by getting all seven types of rest.
Want to learn more about these seven types of rest? Purchase a copy of Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith’s book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity here.
