Rest

More than just sleep…

Ever wondered why you are still feeling tired, even after getting a few good nights of sleep?

The answer could be simple… it’s simply not just sleep that you need…

Tiredness and fatigue can present in many ways and when we feel tired or rundown, we always think that getting some extra shut eye will do the trick. But sleep is only one piece of the puzzle. Sleep in fact is a type of rest, specifically Physical Rest.

So how can we maintain maximum energy, happiness, creativity and thriving relationships during the never-ending demands and pressures of our careers, family, friends and everyday life? We just need to get the right type and quantity of rest.

Rest is more than just sleep and can be categorised into seven types of rest which are often found to be lacking in people’s lives.

These are:

Research suggests that a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavourable effects on our health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity.

But what do they involve…?

Physical Rest

A deficiency in physical rest presents with feeling physically exhausted. You may be struggling to keep your eyes open, have difficulty moving or muscle aches and pains.

The most common way to get more physical rest is through additional sleep, but also methods or restoring your body like stretching and forms of exercise which aren’t too exerting can also contribute to your physical rest.

Mental Rest

A deficiency in mental rest has been described as “brain fuzz”. You know the feeling when high levels of concentration or complex tasks are difficult. You may also notice an increase in negative thoughts and judgment.

Calming simple activities that don’t require thinking are a great way to promote mental rest. Try for some time just doing nothing, taking a walk in nature or grounding yourself with some meditation.

Spiritual Rest

If you feel lost in life or alone, you may be in need of some spiritual rest. This could be practising your religion or reconnecting with your personal values and beliefs. Exploring your sense of purpose is a good way to provide context in your life. Talk to friends about your spirituality, values, and reason for being. You could also try volunteering for a meaningful cause.

Emotional Rest

If you are the kind of person who usually keeps your feelings to yourself, it’s likely that you need some emotional rest. You may feel internally hurt or exhausted and present a totally different image on the outside.

Get some emotional rest by offloading your feelings and emotions to somebody who you will listen, and you trust, you could also try regular talk therapy sessions. Once you start, continue to talk about your emotions in future to avoid emotional overload.

Sensory Rest

Now days, sensory exhaustion is so common as we are forever looking at a screen – be it our computers, tablets, tv or mobile phone. Excessive screen time can not only damage our eyes and cause postural problems but can also affect our relationships.

Give yourself some sensory rest by taking regular screen free days, getting back to nature, and embracing face to face screen-free interactions can provide some much-needed sensory rest.

Social Rest

Too much socialising can be exhausting, so balancing draining encounters with restorative ones can help to keep our social lives thriving. Social rest can mean spending time with like-minded people whom you do not feel challenged by or the need to compete with.

Getting more social rest could be spending more time to connect with friends or socialising less with people who add little value to your life.

Creative Rest

Are you involved in excessive creative thinking? Coming up with new ideas whether in your work or personal life?

Organise and empty your creative mind by keeping an idea’s journal and give yourself a break from creativity by going for walks in nature and inspiring yourself with books and people who can ease the pressure on your creative mind.

7 TYPES OF REST

SUMMARISED

1. Physical

2. Mental

3. Spiritual

4. Emotional

5. Sensory

6. Social

7. Creative

Begin living at your best by restoring your rest from daily depletion. Our Rest Deficit Assessment will help you to identify the areas you are lacking sufficient rest in, and help you to formulate an effective action plan to achieve and live a life of balance.