Many of us struggle to practice resting every day. We may understand the importance of it, but we’re probably unsure of how we can truly practice it every day and bring more peace into our lives.
When I think of resting, I seem to know limited ways to actually practice it.
In my culture and upbringing, I’ve been taught that rest only looks like sleeping. Beyond that, from what I’ve practiced, rest can also look like taking a break, pausing, slowing down, or letting recovery take over. But rest as a practice has often been discouraged or misunderstood for long periods of time in our society. Our relationship with it is a highly interesting and insightful one, because it may reveal many beliefs, learnings, or emotions we might’ve concealed.
There’s fear, we observe, if someone slows down. A fear of uncertainty, of failure, or of missing out on life opportunities, even if it may cost one’s health, relationships, or well-being. Other emotions like guilt or shame may also arise when we rest. Sometimes certain beliefs may come up like “I’m not being productive when I rest,” or “I’m not good enough if I slow down.” Exploring and understanding these beliefs and feelings with compassion is also an important step to take when figuring out how to rest better and care for yourself.
While we work with that, we must also understand that we have varying needs, and hence varied forms of rest that we require to support ourselves better. There’s so much more to rest than sleep. Our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls, require different kinds of rest and recovery that help us feel replenished, refreshed, and invigorated, helping us function better and live more fulfilling lives.
Today, let’s dive into the 7 Types of Rest backed by the framework and research of Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. To also understand myself better, there’s a quiz on their website that gave me my scores in every area. You can take it here if you’d like to!
The seven types of rest and gentle ways to practice them:
Physical Rest 💆🏻♀️
Physical rest is about giving your body the space to recover, soften, and release tension. It can be both passive (like sleep and stillness) and active (like gentle movement that helps the body recover).
This may look like:
- Lying down for a few minutes without trying to “do something”
- Noticing tension in your body and consciously softening it
- Stretching gently after a long day
- Resting your eyes and shoulders between tasks
- Going to bed a little earlier than usual and sleeping as much as your body needs to
- Slowing your pace instead of rushing through the day
- Slow walks, yoga, mindful movement, or massage therapy
- Playing games outdoors that involve low intensity movement
Mental Rest 🧠
Mental rest is about giving your mind a break from constant thinking, processing, and problem-solving.
This may look like:
- Pausing between tasks instead of moving quickly to the next
- Sitting quietly or in silence without consuming anything
- Writing your thoughts down to clear your mind or doing a brain dump
- Engaging in creative activities like art, painting, photography, dancing, or singing
- Doing something simple that does not require decisions but gives your brain time to just be
- Allowing yourself to not figure everything out immediately
- Bringing your attention to your bodily sensations and feelings when you feel like you’re overthinking something
- Engaging in content, entertainment, or leisure activities that do not require you to use your mind prominently – like watching a stand-up comedy show, hilarious memes, or observing nature
- Noticing the present moment and observing what brings you feelings of gratitude, joy, or calmness
Emotional Rest 🫀
Emotional rest is about giving yourself the space to feel and express what is true for you, without needing to filter or hold it in.
This may look like:
- Acknowledging how you feel without minimizing it
- Journaling your emotions freely
- Crying or releasing what you’ve been holding in
- Saying what you truly feel instead of keeping the peace
- Stepping back from people-pleasing patterns
- Letting feelings, sensations, and thoughts arise and letting them complete their cycles with acceptance, care, compassion, and love
- Scheduling daily time with yourself to sit with and feel the emotions you may not have shown attention to
- Taking a step back from external connection to move closer to connection within when needed
Social Rest 🫂
Social rest is about noticing which relationships feel nourishing and which feel draining, and choosing what supports you.
This may look like:
- Spending time alone without guilt
- Choosing to be around people who feel safe and easy, and that don’t demand too much energy or time
- Limiting time with interactions that leave you feeling exhausted
- Taking space from constant social availability
- Allowing yourself to not respond immediately
- Practising parallel play or silent companionship where people enjoy each other’s presence without the need for constant verbal communication
- Learning to say no to those events and meet-ups with toxic friends and family you don’t need to connect with
- If you must be socially active, leaving early, taking breaks in silent spaces or using tools like noise-cancelling headphones can help you rest even if just for a few minutes
Sensory Rest 🌱
Sensory rest is about reducing overstimulation and giving your senses a break from constant input.
This may look like:
- Putting your phone away for a while
- Dimming lights or sitting in a quieter space
- Closing your eyes for a few minutes during the day
- Stepping away from noise or crowded environments
- Allowing moments of silence without filling them
- Wearing comfortable clothes that don’t feel burdensome
- Lighting a candle or being around a soft, calming scent and staying mindful of it
- Touching something comforting or grounding like a soft fabric, wood, a furry animal, plants, or a fidget toy
Creative Rest 🎨
Creative rest is about allowing yourself to receive inspiration and experience beauty without needing to create anything.
This may look like:
- Spending time in nature and noticing its small details
- Listening to music mindfully without multitasking
- Looking at artwork, illustrations, or photography that feels inspiring
- Walking through a park and noticing patterns, colours, and textures
- Watching a comforting film or scene you’ve loved before or that feels visually soothing
- Watching rain, sunsets, or clouds without distraction
- Revisiting old photos or memories that feel warm
- Letting your imagination and daydreaming run in all directions that feel good without limits
Spiritual Rest 🌙
Spiritual rest is about feeling connected, grounded, and supported within yourself or something larger than you.
This may look like:
- Taking a few slow breaths and noticing your body soften
- Spending time in nature and feeling a sense of connection
- Writing down a few things you feel grateful for, including small moments
- Allowing yourself to pause and reflect on what truly matters to you
- Meditating and observing your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and emotions
- Practising trust and faith in yourself or in the divine source you believe in
- Praying for what is meaningful to you or engaging with a community passionate for a cause that means a lot to you
- Taking a moment to simply be, without trying to change anything
From my scores I found out that I may need more of emotional, mental and sensory rest right now. What about you?
I’d love to know what you think and how this new understanding about the kinds of rest you can offer yourself can help you better care for yourself. You can write to me at piyusha@gratefulness.me 💌
I hope this helps you rest, recover and feel more at peace while supporting yourself in ways that you need 🌱 Until next time 🤍
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