Christmas is a time of fun, rest and relaxation. Whether you have a busy calendar planned or you plan on doing nothing at all, the festive season is the perfect time to ensure you get plenty of different types of rest. Here’s what the seven types of rest are and why you should make time for them over the Christmas period.
Why are different types of rest important?
Rest is an important part of recovering, helping to repair our bodies after intensive periods of work or labour. Different types of rest aid our recovery in a myriad of ways. Taking time for rest is crucially important for avoiding burnout and providing ourselves with the energy and space to thrive going forward.
No matter what you have planned for this Christmas period, making time for the seven different types of rest can help you to go into the next year feeling refreshed, ready to take on new challenges or provide you with a chance to have a new perspective on things you want. Here’s what each of the different types of rest means and how you can make the most of them.
What are the seven different types of rest?
Mental
The first type of rest is mental, which is the ability to slow down your mind and think about the things that really matter to you. You can achieve this by doing things like partaking in yoga or going for long walks alone to clear your mind.
Spiritual
The second type of rest is spiritual. This can manifest in finding meaning in the things around you and what you care about. You can manifest this by doing meditation, journaling, or even finding quiet time to think about your life and the world around you.
Emotional
Emotional is the third type of rest. Sometimes we can find our emotions going haywire from stress at work or home, or even naturally from our bodies. Emotional rest can be letting out your emotions or speaking openly with someone you love about how you’re feeling.
Social
The fourth type of rest is social and focuses on the relationships in your life. If you feel emotionally drained then this might look like taking some time out from social events, or selectively choosing the social connections that you want to nature for the short time.
Sensory
Our lives can often be overloaded with sights, smells and sounds and so the fifth type of rest is sensory. This could look like taking a break from looking at your phone by turning it off for the weekend or limiting your calendar for a while so you can relax and enjoy how you’re spending your time.
Creative
The sixth type of rest is creative. Unlike the others, creative rest can actually be more about expressing yourself in new ways. This can look like doing a new creative activity like journalling, painting or drawing. This type of rest allows you to find your creativity again and have fun without expecting a result.
Physical
The seventh and final type of rest is physical. We are all often tempted to rush about all day and not give ourselves any type of rest other than sleep. This type of rest can look like stretching, having a massage or spending a day relaxing at home.
What do you think? Whether you already knew about the seven types of rest or you’re planning on trying it for the first time this Christmas, we hope you’ll be inspired to rest and recover over the festive season. Have you or will you try the seven types of rest?
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Photo: Bruce Mars Via UnSplash