Rest – 6 Types You Need to Feel Refreshed & Energized

Rest is vital and we don’t get enough. Many of us live a hectic life. Going to school, having a huge workload, trying to juggle a social life, and some of us throw parenting into the mix. We need to give ourselves permission to rest. It isn’t healthy to be constantly working, socializing, and spending time online. We need to designate time to recharge and recuperate.

Digital Rest: We are connected to the web 24/7. Even when we aren’t on our laptop or tablet. We have our smart phone at hand. It’s gotten to the point where we don’t fully appreciate a tv show because our cellphone is constantly ringing with incoming text messages and alerts from all our online accounts. It even affects when friends and family get together to eat. People become distracted and overwhelmed with so much sensory input. It prevents us from living in the present moment. Here are some tips:

1. On your day off don’t use social media
2. Turn off push notifications on your phone and tablet
3. Turn off all electronics 2 hours before bed
4. Schedule, but limit the time you use electronics
5. Don’t grab your phone first thing during the day
6. Limit the time you spend watching tv daily
7. Ask yourself “why” when your about to use your phone
8. Turn off or mute your phone when you are spending time with loved ones
9. Plan technology free activities

Social Rest: Since the advancement of smart phones we are constantly connected to friends and family. Basically, we socialize for hours at school and work only to continue connected at home. In other cases, we can have difficulties maintaining boundaries with other people. Accepting every single invitation out there, when all we would want to do is rest. People can drain our energies, especially working in areas where we are exposed to all kinds of people. It’s best to use our socializing energy to deepen our connection with loved ones. Here are some tips to rest successfully:

1. Set boundaries around texting and phone calls
2. Set specific times during the day for phone calls, for example from 9am to 6pm
3. Log off from social media at night
4. Say, “no” to social events you don’t want to participate in
5. Schedule in alone time during the day
6. Minimize unwanted face-to-face interactions
7. Remind yourself, you do not need to be available 24/7

Creative Rest: This type of rest is important especially for artists, musicians, writers, graphic designers, and bloggers. Anyone who uses creativity for fun or at work. There is nothing worse than feeling forced to be creative. If you are struggling with writer’s block or can’t seem to come up with catchy lyrics and rhythms for your songs. Then it’s a sign you need to rest. Here are some tips you can implement to recharge:

1. Schedule in breaks during the day
2. Go for a walk or take a nap
3. Step away temporarily, for example, going to a relaxing place
4. Set aside your main project for a while, and work on a side project instead
5. Take a small trip or spend time by yourself to find your creativity again
6. Practice mindful exercises, like, meditation
7. Allow your mind to daydream
8. Unplug from social media, television, and the radio

Emotional Rest: Emotional exhaustion can lead to burnout and increased levels of stress. It isn’t healthy to neglect ourselves emotionally. If we do, we will end up fatigued, feeling hopeless, struggling with lack of motivation, feeling nervous, and having an increased negative outlook of life. Unfortunately, many of us are exposed to situations that prolong our levels of stress. It can be high pressure jobs, school, financial problems, raising children, toxic family members, and chronic illnesses, among other situations. It is essential to practice emotional self-care, such as:

1. Implement mindful exercises, like, meditation and deep breathing
2. Talk with a trustful friend or family member
3. Seek professional help if necessary
4. Participate in meaningful causes dear to your heart
5. Develop the habit of gratitude
6. Taking time off
7. Develop emotional intelligence
8. Increase your resiliency

Physical Rest: This type of rest is essential in order to function daily. This allows our body to recuperate. It basically restores and energizes us to take on the day. Unfortunately, now-a-days we are overworked. We are always told that we should be working, and it has gotten to the point that we feel guilty for resting or taking a nap. Western society has adopted the constant hustle culture, and, in many cases, companies prefer profit over the wellbeing of their employees. Sadly, the average American doesn’t get enough sleep and rest. Here are some tips to improve physical rest:

1. Maintain the same sleep schedule even on your days off
2. Turn off all electronics at least two hours before bed
3. Avoid eating heavy meals late at night
4. Don’t drink alcohol and avoid nicotine
5. Minimize the amount of water you drink before bed
6. Keep your room dark and cool
7. Take a warm shower or bath before going to sleep
8. Practice deep breathing or listen to a sleep guided mediations
9. Have a small hobby that’ll help you unwind
10. Use earplugs or listen to ‘white noise’

Mental Rest: In order to stay sane our brain needs downtime. Increasing mental rest will improve our creativity, mental clarity, decision making, and overall wellbeing. Typically, our mind is preoccupied with work, school, problems, and constant sensory information from our environment. The lack of mental rest will cause us to forget things, have difficulty paying attention and concentrating. In fact, many of us make mistakes and even get into accidents. Here is a small list of things you can do daily:

1. Schedule daily time for your hobby, even if it’s 30 minutes
2. Take a nap or go for a walk
3. Spend time in nature
4. Disconnect from social media
5. Go somewhere quiet and rest
6. Exercise or move your body, try stretching throughout the day
7. Get a good night’s rest
8. Eat nutritious meals
9. Do something fun or watch funny content
10. Reduce sensory input

Let go of the notion that we must be constantly working in order to be productive. There is a time to work hard and a time to rest. For our wellbeing its’s essential to incorporate these different types of rest into our life. It might seem like a lot, but if you notice the different types of rest have a lot in common. For example, if you take time to disconnect and spend time by yourself. You will be resting mentally, emotionally, socially, and creatively.