Do you have little energy to do the things you love even though you get plenty of sleep?
Sleep is only one part of recharging your batteries.
To gain a full charge, you need to practice the 7 types of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual.
1. Physical Rest
You're already familiar with passive physical rest: sleeping and napping.
Try this:
Add active physical rest to help your body recover from physical exercise.
Try this:
2. Mental Rest
Your brain needs rest to process your day so your thoughts don't keep you up at night.
Try this:
Use the Pomodoro technique to take regular breaks throughout your day
Reflect on the day and write your thoughts in a journal before bed
3. Sensory Rest
Our busy lives can quickly overwhelm our senses...
...noises, lights, screens, music, conversations, notifications...sometimes all at once!
This not only can make it hard to focus, but can affect you physically, such as headaches, eyestrain, and ringing in your ears.
Try this:
Close your eyes for a few minutes and take a few deep breaths
Turn off screens before bed
Try floating in a sensory deprivation tank
4. Creative Rest
Feeling stuck?
It can show up in different ways: writer's block, lack of focus, mind going blank.
Take a break to find inspiration by appreciating nature and enjoying art.
Try this:
Reduce stress with forest bathing
Visit a museum or art gallery
Work on a jigsaw puzzle or adult coloring book
5. Emotional Rest
Bottling up your feelings can take a lot out of you.
This can lead to stress and resentment.
Find ways to be your authentic self and safely express how you feel.
Try this:
When something bothers you, face it head on
Be honest with your loved ones about your feelings
Find ways to communicate better with family and friends
6. Social Rest
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Extroverts get energy from others and welcome frequent social interactions.
Try this:
Take a break from work to socialize with friends and recharge your batteries.
Introverts feel drained after being with others and need time alone to recharge.
Try this:
Take a break from social activities and schedule alone time to recharge.
7. Spiritual Rest
"Connect beyond the physical and mental and feel a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose."
Try this:
If you're religious, add prayer or go to church
Start a three forms of meditation
Get involved in your community to find purpose, such as volunteering
Quiz
Lisa is exhausted from a week full of studying for exams and running to train for an upcoming race. She takes time on Saturday to go on a photowalk with friends at a nearby park. This is an example of which type(s) of rest? Check all that apply:
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