7 Types of Rest
I blocked this week off for “vacation” in my calendar, though as an entrepreneur, it’s hard to imagine disconnecting completely. I know going offline is a challenge for many people, and unless you’re heading to a remote location with no internet, it can be difficult to switch completely into rest mode.
However, I am deeply familiar with the importance of rest, from personal experiences of burnout and the associated health impacts.
So while I might not be completely disconnected this week, I have established many rest practices that I weave into my days.
Rest helps regulate our nervous system; it allows us to feel safe enough to interrupt the stress response cycle so that our minds and bodies can heal and recover.
If we don’t find ways to let our minds and bodies know that it’s ok to relax – that the email from our boss at 6:15pm on a Friday marked “urgent!!” is NOT, in fact, a saber-toothed tiger – we continue an endless cycle of adrenaline and cortisol.
Which, as we know, leads to exhaustion, burnout, and illness.
Integrating rest throughout the day ensures we stay balanced and healthy. It’s particularly important to do something at the end of the day that signals to your nervous system that you’re safe from the stressors of the day, and that it’s ok to relax into a deep, restorative sleep.
Contact me to chat about how to integrate balance and rest, while still being an effective and impactful leader.
Physical
The most obvious type of physical rest is sleep. But there’s also short naps, meditation, deep breathing, gentle stretching, eating nourishing food, experimenting with bilateral stimulation, massage, slow walks, acupuncture, and much more. I like practicing a body scan meditation, focused on gradually relaxing muscles one by one. Although the intention of meditation isn’t necessarily to fall asleep, this is one of my favourite ways to shut down my buzzy brain at night.
Emotional
Emotional rest can take place with friends or family – taking care that they’re people who feel safe, help you feel calm and/or rejuvenated. Practicing self-compassion, allowing your tears to flow, watching something that triggers deep belly laughter, journaling, healthy emotional connection, therapy, and avoiding stressful situations, are all ideas for emotional rest.
Mental
Mindfulness practices, meditation, visualization exercises – or any kind of non-thinking activity where you’re using your hands (such as gardening or knitting), and digital detoxes are all great examples of mental rest. Try scheduling mini breaks throughout the day and set a timer with a gentle sound, closing your eyes for 5 minutes. There are two bald eagles that nest near our house, and whenever I see them, I stop what I’m doing and watch them soar. It gives me just a couple minutes to interrupt whatever my brain is chewing on and take a rest.
Sensory
Having a series of small rituals focused on sight, smell, sound, touch, or taste is helpful to reduce stress and facilitate moments of sensory rest. This can look like sitting in silence, using aromatherapy, going for a sensory deprivation float, listening to relaxing music, bookmarking your favourite ASMR, cuddling with a beloved pet, listening to your kitty’s purring, having someone lightly scratch your back, closing your eyes and listening to birds, or taking a bath.
Spiritual
I feel most spiritually connected when I’m in nature: in a forest, in my garden, in the ocean, staring up at white clouds in a blue sky, or gazing at bright stars lighting up a dark night. Aside from connection to nature, spiritual rest can also take the form of prayer, reflection, poetry, yoga, rituals, or volunteering in a way that is connected to your values and life’s purpose.
Social
I’m an extrovert, but definitely need a fair amount of social rest. I like a balanced amount of alone time to be in my head or to work on projects. Social rest can also look like having clear boundaries, selective socializing (i.e., spending time with people that restore your energy rather than deplete it), hugs, engaging with your chosen community, intimacy, or dedicated time for self-care. I work from home and so does my husband, so sometimes I go “offsite” for brief periods of solitude.
Creative
Being creative takes the form of writing for me these days, and various types of rest allow for creative ideas to percolate. It can be a real joy to allow creativity to come forward in a way that isn’t tied to production or attachment to outcome. Try daydreaming, engaging with art created by other people, creative expression of your own, allowing for playfulness, exploring crafts, cooking something new, or writing fan fiction.
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