How is your week going so far?
With a bank holiday weekend coming up here in the UK, I thought this was a good time to talk about rest.
A lovely subscriber to this email recently sent me an article about different types of rest.
I know what you’re thinking: rest is rest, right?
Well, no.
According to this article, there are seven types of rest!
I know, I was as surprised as you by that – but then, as I read the article, it all made sense.
Our bodies and minds do lots of different things, working in lots of different ways.
So it stands to reason that we’d need different types of rest from these different tasks.
Here are the seven types of rest:
Physical rest – the one we all think of when we think of rest. Interestingly, movement like yoga and stretching can count as physical rest as they allow the body to release stored up cortisol.
Mental rest – your mind needs a chance to relax too! Activities like mindfulness or hobbies we enjoy can help with this – switching the mind off from the usual endless running chatter.
Emotional rest – this is an interesting one because it’s not about rest from your emotions – that’s basically impossible. Instead, it’s about actually learning to feel them properly and allow them to just be, without resisting.
Social rest – this is not about locking yourself away from contact with any other people! Rather, it’s about choosing to spend more time with the people who leave us feeling better, and limiting time with those who feel like they drain us
Sensory rest – sensory overload is a real thing these days, with phones, TV, work, advertising and numerous other things vying for our attention all the time. This one is about taking time away from sensory stimuli – loud noises and bright lights can be tiring over time.
Creative rest – ever wonder why you have your best ideas in the shower? It’s because your brain is a bit bored of washing your hair, and has nowhere else to go! There is an argument that without a bit of sitting and doing nothing, we can’t be creative. Creative rest also includes going out into nature, or to a museum.
Spiritual rest – this one is important because it’s about your sense of purpose. Having a form of deeper meaning in our lives can help us to stay motivated and on top of life. And no, this doesn’t necessarily mean organised religion – unless that’s your thing.
Rather, it’s about having that spiritual space in life to get clear on our core values and what we want to be in the world.
So, what do you think?
With the bank holiday weekend coming up, which type of rest will you be focusing on?
