How can I use the 7 types of rest to recharge?

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.

You're already familiar with passive physical rest: sleeping and napping.

Try this:

• Tips to get better sleep

• Strategies for napping

Add active physical rest to help your body recover from physical exercise.

Try this:

• Stretch your muscles after exercise

• Practice yoga a few times a week

• Get a massage

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

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

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

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

• Create an emotionally safe environment at home

• Find ways to communicate better with family and friends

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.

"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

Check out more Bytes on the 7 types of rest!

• Feeling exhausted by social commitments? Try these 5 strategies to recharge with social rest 🔋

• Having trouble getting your creative juices flowing? Try these 5 ways to get creative rest 🎨

• My brain feels tired! How do I get mental rest? 🪷

• Are your senses overwhelmed? 🤯 Give yourself a break with sensory rest 🤫