How to Actually Feel Rested
Do you ever find yourself wondering why you feel SO DRAINED and exhausted all the time? What’s the solution? Rest? Yes! But that’s only PART of it. If you find yourself trying to feel more energized and have more bandwidth, but only feel more drained in the process, the answer might lie in HOW you’re resting.
Did you know there’s actually SEVEN different types of rest? Take a moment to think about what comes to mind for you when you think of resting. Many people first think of sleeping or lying down (also very important) but there’s actually many different ways to get rest.
1) Physical rest: This refers to giving your physical body some rest. Sitting down for a while, lying down on the sofa for a bit, and getting high-quality sleep are all ways to get your brain and body rejuvenated. Some people think of gentle movement such as stretching or yoga as getting rest, but to me, rest means… rest.
2) Mental Rest: Our brains are constantly making decisions and mapping things out throughout the day. It’s important to incorporate some mental downtime as part of your self-care routine. Mental rest really focuses on the here and now. Things like mindfulness and guided meditation can be helpful to feel grounded, and to just simply be.
3) Creative Rest: This type of rest is one that is often overlooked when we think about rest. Also, being creative isn’t limited to being artistic. If you are creating or producing anything, you’re engaging in creativity (read that again). Taking intentional breaks from activities where you’re making, producing, or creating something, is a great way to give yourself some rest.
4) Sensory Rest: As with mental stimulation, our brains are constantly taking in stimuli that require energy and effort. Sensory rest focuses on, well, the senses. We come across countless different smells, tastes, sounds, or tactical sensations all day, every day, which can have impacts on our lives in ways we don’t even realize. If you’ve ever heard someone say “I’m overstimulated "or “this is sensory overload ” they’re probably experiencing too many sensations at once. A good way to get rest from this is to minimize sensory input, or focus on just one sensory experience at a time. Sitting and closing your eyes while listening to calming music, and being in a quiet and dark room while doing deep breathing exercises are great ways to get some sensory rest.
5) Spiritual Rest: Before I get into this one, I want to emphasize that spirituality is a deeply personal and individualized facet of life. Spirituality can include believing in a higher power or organized religion, but it doesn’t have to. Something as simple as noticing the symmetry in nature or how we actually feel grateful for a situation that may initially have seemed to be negative can provide spiritual rest. Be curious of the bigger picture and all of the forces and energies that make everything exist.
6) Emotional Rest: The demands of our society have placed expectations on us to always present a certain way. Putting on a happy face, calming ourselves down when we’re irritated to fit the social norm, and biting our tongues can all be very emotionally draining. Emotional rest involves getting really in touch with your values, and being authentic to them. Thinking about what feels honest and genuine to you, and engaging in activities that support that, leads to emotional rest. Avoiding heavy, complex emotions in media we consume, if only for a few moments, is especially needed in times such as these.
7) Social Rest: My fellow extroverted introverts probably know what this means! Social rest means different things to different people, and it’s important to think about how different social interactions leave you feeling. If you feel recharged after being around people, continue to engage in that since it’s rejuvenating. If you feel recharged after alone time, make sure to carve some time to make that happen. Social rest is about putting time in to the engagements that leave you feeling refreshed.
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