Hello Dazzle! Thanks for coming and hanging out with me today, I’m glad that you are here. Today I want to talk to you about the different kinds of rest that we all need! In modern society we are bombarded with toxic productivity. This is your reminder that getting rest is an important part of having good health.
Physical Rest
This is relieving your body of physical stress such as muscle tension, head aches and lack of sleep. This can be passive resting such as sleeping, napping or just laying still. But it can also mean active rest such as getting a massage or doing yoga. Light exercise can also fall into this category of rest.
Social Rest
This is when you spend time with others that don’t need anything from you. Time with others where the only benefit that anyone is gaining is the joy of each other’s company. Most of the time when we are attending social activities we are also meeting social obligations and attending to the social needs of others. We all need to take a break from this now and again. We cannot be socially available to others all of the time. If you feel like you are drained after having a social interaction then you are most likely in need of social rest.
Mental Rest
This is when we allow our minds to take a break from thinking hard and from all the inner chatter. Meditation can be a great way to allow your mind to rest. Light reading can also allow our minds to rest. If you find that your brain is too busy to let you fall asleep then you are likely in need of some mental rest.
Spiritual Rest
We all need to take time to connect with something that is greater then ourselves. This can be religion, but it doesn’t need to be. We all do better when we feel that we have a purpose and that we are a part of something that matters. We can get spiritual rest by attending church or reading spiritual books. Or you can get involved with your community with a volunteer organization.
Emotional Rest
When we talk about emotionally resting, people usually think about not feeling. But that’s not resting, that’s an active and forceful action that requires a great deal of effort. We are emotional creatures and we all need time to authentically express our emotions in a safe space. If you’re a people pleaser then this is a type of rest that you are sure to be in need of. You might also find you need emotional rest if you feel that you are someone who is always holding your feelings in.
Creative Rest
This is when we expose ourselves to inspiring environments without the pressure or expectation to create. It is about reconnecting with our sense of awe and wonder. This can be achieved by going for a walk in nature or going to an art gallery. It can also be done through a creative hobby as long as there is no pressure or expectation that there will be a finished product. This needs to be about the experience rather then anything that it produced.
Sensory Rest
This is when we give our senses a break. This can be especially important to those who are neurodivergent as we tend to be more sensitive to sensory experiences. If you find that you are feeling irritable or agitated at the end of the day, but you aren’t sure what is causing the feeling you might want to try a sensory rest. This can mean finding a quiet space or engaging in sound that is sensory pleasing to you. The same is true of our other senses. Sensory rest doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of sensation. Rather it means the absence of stressful sensations.
Well, that’s about it for my rambling today. Thanks for coming and spending some time with me. If you like what you read, click on that like button. It really does help! Until we talk again, you take care of yourselves!
Zebra Pig 