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Do you ever wake up in the morning after a full night of rest and feel just as exhausted as when you went to bed? Or perhaps you want to pass out on the couch in the middle of the day, but also feel like getting out? Are you so busy all day that you can’t seem to get anything done, but at the same time feel “bored”? A kind of burnt-out, tired feeling? Sometimes we can’t seem to figure out what our bodies need, and when we feel fatigued we assume more sleep will remedy it. Taking a nap, going to bed early, or just laying down for a minute; yet the fatigue persists. Maybe we aren’t able to fix the problem, because we don’t really understand what it is.
To truly feel rested, we need to rest in all aspects of our lives, not just the physical.
According to Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, we need to restore seven different areas in our lives to actually feel rested. When we expend a lot of energy in, or controversially neglect, aspects of our lives we can experience fatigue and burn-out, as well as feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
New ways to rest and counter fatigue: the seven types of rest.
Physical – Physical exhaustion can come from many things, including poor sleep (quality or quantity), over-exercising, food choices, and/or a physically demanding job. Some of the ways we can restore this area is through better sleep/adding in a nap (passive rest), or through restorative activities (active rest) like light exercise, stretching, a bath or facial (yay for spa night!), or a massage.
Mental – Mental fatigue can appear as an overwhelm of ideas and the inability to “turn the brain off.” We can rest in this area by deep breathing, writing your thoughts down and leaving them, taking a mental break at work (no phone) every hour, or taking a walk.
Emotional – Emotional fatigue can occur in people who tend to be people-pleasers, people who struggle to let themselves feel emotions and be authentic, as well as for people working in an emotionally challenging occupation (think grief counselor). To give ourselves emotional rest we can take a break from people who cause us emotional stress, be truthful about how we feel and what we need, and surround ourselves with uplifting trustworthy people.
Social – Social exhaustion doesn’t just happen from being around people too much, but can be caused by unhealthy relationships that drag us down, a socially demanding job (hello, anyone in sales), or excessive time on social media. The most helpful way to rest in this area is to spend time in the healthy relationships that revive us. It can also be helpful to take some space from draining people, enjoy some restorative alone time, and take a break from social media.
Sensory – Sensory fatigue can happen easily in our high-paced society. With all of the technology at our fingertips (lights, sounds, visuals), the conversations and noise around us, and the constant demand to get everything done at once, it’s no wonder many people are over-stimulated. As a stay-at-home mom, I find myself on sensory-overload often; the chaos of children, tasks at hand, and multi-tasking to meet demands can be exhausting. To rest in this area, quiet and alone time are great; I personally like to get some time to myself where I am outside, exercising, or being creative. Taking time to refocus your attention and give your senses a break is very helpful and can be done even if you only have a couple minutes and not the luxury of an hour alone. Try closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing, or grounding your senses on something (like touch: holding a rock, a plant leaf, or squishing your toes in the carpet – or smells: breathing in some happy smells), the key is to focus your attention and senses on one thing and “reset” your mind. Being on your phone or watching a movie is not a good way to rest from sensory fatigue.
Creative – You’ll be able to tell your creative energy is toast when you feel uninspired and like you can’t solve problems; this can occur easily for people in creatively demanding occupations (graphic designer, writer, marketing). Some ways you can renew and rest in this area is through experiencing and/or participating in different arts (think painting, dance, photography, etc.). As well as by getting out in nature and being awed and inspired by the beauty around you.
Spiritual – When you ignore your spiritual needs or get stuck in religious patterns and obligations, it can feel like you have no purpose, there can be a lack of feeling loved or sense of belonging, you can have a hard time connecting with the bigger picture. To restore this area, prayer/meditation and reading the Bible are wonderful, as well as community involvement/service to help you feel like a part of something bigger than yourself. I personally find the best way to restore this area is to spend authentic one-on-one time with Jesus.
Whichever category you find yourself expending energy in repeatedly to the point of exhaustion is the one (or maybe two) you need to focus on. The solution is not necessarily a nap or to escape for the day, that’s like putting a band-aid on the problem, but to correct the fatigue through resting the right way. Hopefully this information has given you some ideas on how you can rest and recharge in those areas of life that are wearing you out.
Honey Today:
Just rest. Take time for yourself; renew the areas you need to so that you can fully embrace the day!
