Rest is a state of relaxation that allows our minds and bodies to recover from the general stress of our lives. This can come physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is extremely important to our overall health and is just as important as diet or exercise. There are different kinds of rest that we need to help us function at our best. The seven types of rest are social, spiritual, sensory, creative, emotional, physical, and mental. Each one specializes in a specific aspect of our lives and understanding them makes it easier to understand yourself and care for yourself properly.
Physical Rest - This means taking a break from all the events of your day. It gives our muscles time to repair and grow, which helps avoid injuries and lessens fatigue. Instantly simple things such as lying down or sitting come to mine, but it can also include things such as stretching, getting a massage, taking a nap, or practicing deep breathing.
Mental Rest - This is taking a break from the constant mental simulation that is so common. This gives our brains time to recharge and process information, helping us to stay focused, productive, and alert. Mental rest can be many things such as turning off your phone, practicing meditation, avoiding social media, and yoga.
Emotional Rest - This is removing yourself from emotional demands in your everyday life. This gives us time to process our feelings, helping maintain an emotional balance that helps avoid burnout. I know this can be hard for people, because you may feel guilty about taking time for yourself, but this is not selfish. You deserve this. Emotional rest can include things like spending time alone, journaling, spending time outside in nature, or talking to a friend.
Sensory Rest - This means taking a break from the constant sensory input in your life. This gives you time to recover from the over stimulation that is noise, light, etc. To stop this from becoming overwhelming, consider practicing things such as taking a bath, listening to calm music, closing your eyes, turning off the tv, or a “digital detox”
Creative Rest - This is taking a break from creative requests. People commonly feel as though they need to continuously produce and create, but this is very draining. To combat this state try pursuing a small hobby, doing a creative activity that doesn’t require lots of effort (knitting, cooking, baking, etc.), or reading poetry and literature
Social Rest - This is when you temporarily take yourself out the constant social situations, especially ones that are extremely draining or tiring. This will help you maintain your emotional boundaries and avoid social burnout. To practice this try spending time with family or a close friend, have a solo - date, and go ghost on social media for a day.
Spiritual Rest - This can be meditation, prayer, yoga, volunteer work, or nature walks.
Romanticizing Your Life (in a way that won’t drain your bank account)
Make a happy playlist and listen to it while going on a walk
start a journal (doesn’t have to be consistent, just when you have something to say)
Try baking something (I suck at baking, so if you’ve ever broken a stove or an oven, this idea is NOT for you)
Try drinking water. In a real glass. You’re going to feel so fancy.
Light some candles and buy some flowers for yourself.
Put on a face mask (This never fails to make me feel like the main character)
Watch the sunrise or sunset (If you live far away from a place where you can see it then drive.)
Read a book
Take the newspaper and find the crossword section. Take this to a coffee shop and do it there with your favorite drink (I’ve been doing this once week and it is genuinely the best part of my day)
Try smiling more. Not in a weird way, but people will react kindly to you if you show them kindness. Its gonna make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Paint your nails a color you like (as someone who never has her nails painted, this makes me feel so bougie)
Listen to a podcast. Doesn’t have to be a serious one. Either way you’ll feel so mature.
TAKE A BUBBLE BATH. I don’t do this very often but oh my gosh. I wish I did. It’s so relaxing. You could even up it by playing relaxing music from your phone and pretending you’re in a spa.
Make your space yours. I mean your room should look like a physical representation of your personality. If this means there are paint splatters on the walls and rubber ducks hanging from the ceiling thats okay. If it means the whole room is painted black and there are 3 pieces of furniture, this is okay. As long as you love it and it makes you feel comfortable.
Give yourself a signature scent. This isn’t hard, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on perfume. Just find a scent you really like, go to the drug store, and buy conditioner, shampoo, body wash, and lotion all with this scent. After you shower, use the lotion all over. This will make you smell like your scent and it’s amazing. I started doing this a few months ago and I’ve gotten so many compliments on how I smell. You don’t realize how big a compliment that is until you get it. Trust me.
Of course this is all for fun and you don’t have to do any of it if you don’t want to, but I think its a cute way to bring a little spark of joy into your daily lifestyle.
