Seven Kinds of Rest You Didn't Know You Needed

Rest is more than sleep.

Even after a good night's sleep, many of us still feel drained. Rest is not one-dimensional, and to truly recover, we need rest in seven key areas.

Taken from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith et.al, here's a quick guide to the seven kinds of rest, and suggestions for how to weave them into your daily life.

Physical Rest

Passive rest (sleep, naps) and active rest (gentle stretching, yoga, massage) both support muscle recovery and vitality, so try a light stretch before bed.

‍Mental Rest

Your mind needs rest from constant planning, decision making or multitasking. Set reminders every hour to stand up, breathe, stretch, go for a short gentle walk, or look out the window.

Emotional Rest

Rather than expressing them, we often internalise a lot of thoughts or emotions. Yet in order to rest, we need to process and offload the inner tension these bring, so they need to be expressed. Try writing them down then throwing them away, talking to someone you trust, or simply take time to allow yourself to feel the feeling, and acknowledge it.

Sensory Rest

Modern life is busy, and we're constantly surrounded by noise, lights, people, traffic and movement. Find quiet places to retreat to that allow for both visually and audibly less stimuli.

Creative Rest

Even if you're not an artist, creative rest helps your mind to explore new possibilities. Visit a gallery, go for a walk somewhere new, listen to music, colour in, or learn an instrument.

Social Rest

Not all interactions energise us. Social rest is about spending time with people who lift you up, and sometimes it's about saying no to social demands that feel heavy. Carve out time to be with a trusted friend whose company is effortless, and limit draining connections.

Spiritual Rest

Connect with meaning and purpose. Meditate, reflect, volunteer or engage with practices aligned with your values.

Bringing It All Together‍

• Awareness - notice where you have strengths and areas that may need to be worked on, such as maybe you sleep well (so physical rest is ok) but your mind is cluttered (mental rest needs working on).
• Begin Small - start with one small thing that you can do regularly to develop a new routine that helps you to rest.
• Mix and Match - remember that a short gentle walk can support physical, sensory, and spiritual rest all at once.
• Set Boundaries - protect your rest time from distraction and interruption, it's important, you're important.

When you tune into these seven types of rest and intentionally nourish them, you become more resilient against stress, more present in your relationships and connections with others, and better prepared for the unexpected.

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