Options To Take a Breath

Sometimes we may note that although we sleep all night, we wake up feeling exhausted. What are we missing?

Sleeping and resting are not necessarily the same thing, there are other types of rest that may be equally important when it comes to wellbeing. The result of this confusion is leading us to become highly efficient individuals which constantly feel tired and overwhelmed because we do not understand the complete definition of rest when it comes to fully recover from exhaustion.

According to internal medicine physician Sandra Dalton-Smith, there are seven essential types of rest that we must put into practice to feel better.

1. Physical rest

This type of rest can either be active or passive. The first one can be achieved by performing activities such as yoga, massages, therapy, or stretching, while the second one can be attained by sleeping or napping.

2. Mental rest

This one comes into the scene when we feel that no matter how much coffee we intake, to be productive and at night we still have thoughts that keep us from sleeping. Mental rest can be achieved by taking short breaks every two hours in order to slow our pace. It can also be attained by keeping note of the negative thoughts that are getting in the way when we try to fall asleep.

Also read: THESE HABITS WILL GIVE YOU THE LIFESTYLE YOU WANT

3. Emotional rest

It is vital to have safe places to express our feeling and simply verbalize what we have in mind without feeling judged or attacked. This is why by surrounding ourselves with positive and supportive people we can achieve this type of rest.

4. Social rest

This one goes beyond emotional rest and invites us to reflect in order to differentiate between relationships that are constructive and that feeds us daily and those that make us feel negative emotions. At the end of your reflection, social rest should point towards engaging in more talk with those people that make us feel positive and that brighten our feelings.

5. Sensory rest

In a world full of screens, lights and noise, it is important to learn how to disconnect for a while by simply closing our eyes or making ourselves stay away from technological devices for short periods of time.

6. Spiritual rest

This type of rest reaches beyond mental and physical rest, and invites us to engage in spiritual activities such as meditation, praying are taking part in community activities that distance us from our normal routines and provide a meaningful distraction to brighten our days.

7. Creative rest

This one becomes especially valuable for those of us that work in brainstorming ideas or innovation and it is achieved by stimulating our creative habits. It can be attained by appreciating art or nature and being inspired by both of them. Surrounding your workspace with art that inspires us or nature images can be a first step to stimulating our creative side. 

Explore her Ted Talk on the subject to learn more about the 7 types of rest that all of us need:

Learn more about Dalton-Smith on her website by clicking here.