The concept of the 7 types of rest was popularized by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a physician, researcher and author of Scared Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity. In her book, she outlines the 7 distinct types of rest we didn’t know we needed but that help us replenish our energy reserves.

This got me thinking about how I define rest and how I sometimes conflate it with recreation. How sometimes I know I need a break but I’m not entirely sure which type of break will help me feel restored. So, I decided to put my self-care through the rest inventory below to see where I might be able to get more rest and where I can continue resting as I have been.

Through the rest inventory, I found that I needed to reconnect more often with the supportive and positive people in my life – I booked two nature walk dates with close friends! I also needed to improve my spiritual practices of prayer and daily meditation. I improved my emotional rest through booking a check-in with my therapist and I’m still exploring ways to enhance my creative rest.

This inventory has been incredibly helpful for me and I hope it helps you explore new ideas of ways to create a more balanced and restorative routine.

The 7 types of rest

1. Physical Rest

Physical rest helps relieve your body of stress and muscle tension. The stress and tension can be from injuries or workouts, demanding work schedules, caring for loved ones or anything else that causes a tense and uncomfortable feeling in your body. This rest can be active like moving through yin or restorative yoga poses, taking a nature walk or stretching tense muscles, or it can be passive like lying down, getting a massage, swinging gently in a hammock or taking an Epsom bath.

Current Practices:

• What activities or habits contribute to your physical rest?
• How often do you engage in these practices?

Things to Try:

• Explore new ways to support your physical rest (e.g., naps, relaxation techniques).
• Consider adjustments or additions to improve your physical rest.

2. Mental Rest

Mental rest helps you quiet your anxieties and focus on what’s important to you. This rest might be in the form of talk therapy sessions, speaking with your spiritual advisor, journaling, or listening to guided meditations. Mental rest can also be simply sitting in silence and observing your surroundings. When you take a mental rest break, you give yourself permission to say no to others so that you can say yes to yourself.

Current Practices:

• How do you currently manage mental fatigue?
• What techniques do you use to clear your mind?

Things to Try:

• Experiment with new mental rest strategies (e.g., meditation, journaling).
• Identify activities that can help reduce mental stress and enhance clarity.

3. Emotional Rest

Emotional rest allows you to take an intention break from the demands of emotional labor and interpersonal interactions. When I think of emotional rest, I reflect back on the times that I took a break from being a caregiver so that I could recharge without the pressure of performing or maintaining emotional equilibrium for others. You can achieve this rest be spending time alone in nature, journaling, meditating and sitting still.

Current Practices:

• How do you address emotional exhaustion?
• What activities or practices help you feel emotionally balanced?

Things to Try:

• Look into new methods for emotional restoration (e.g., therapy, emotional check-ins).
• Reflect on activities that could improve your emotional well-being.

4. Social Rest

Social rest is a practice of taking a break from social interactions and obligations so that you can rest and restore your emotional and mental bandwidth. This isn’t to mean that those interactions drained you, but rather to acknowledge that recovering in solitude is necessary for your self-care. On the other hand, social rest is also about spending time with positive, supportive people who make you feel your best. You can achieve this rest by stepping back from social gatherings, events and conversations and spending time alone or with loved one, enjoying solo hobbies and putting your needs first. Social rest is also an essential part of setting boundaries.

Current Practices:

• How do you manage social interactions and energy drain?
• What do you do to recharge socially?

Things to Try:

• Consider ways to balance social engagements (e.g., setting boundaries, solitude).
• Explore new approaches to ensure you’re getting adequate social rest.

5. Sensory Rest

Sensory rest involves taking breaks from constant sensory input, such as screens, bright lights, background noise, television and the overstimulation of our daily lives. You can achieve this rest by dimming the lights, taking screen breaks or digital detoxes and spending time in a peaceful environment.

Current Practices:

• What are your current methods for reducing sensory overload?
• How often do you take breaks from sensory stimuli?

Things to Try:

• Try new techniques to reduce sensory input (e.g., digital detox, quiet environments).
• Identify practices that can help you feel more relaxed and less overstimulated.

6. Creative Rest

Creative rest offers you an opportunity to be inspired by your surroundings. This rest helps you restore your sense of wonder, creativity and imagination. You can achieve this rest by immersing yourself in beauty, nature and art while outdoors, at a museum, enjoying live music and exploring your artistic hobbies.

Current Practices:

• How do you allow yourself time to recharge creatively?
• What activities inspire and rejuvenate your creativity?

Things to Try:

• Explore new creative outlets and downtime (e.g., hobbies, nature walks).
• Implement strategies that foster creativity and provide a mental break.

7. Spiritual Rest

Spiritual rest refers to the sense of deep connection and purpose that comes from feeling aligned with something greater than oneself. This rest involves nurturing your inner self through activities that bring you peace, meaning and a sense of belonging. Spiritual rest might involve mindfulness and meditation, spending time in nature, acts of service, or prayer and worship.

Current Practices:

• How do you nurture your spiritual well-being?
• What practices contribute to your sense of purpose and connection?

Things to Try:

• Look into new spiritual practices (e.g., meditation, community involvement).
• Reflect on activities that deepen your spiritual rest and fulfillment.

“Rest is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be.” – Octavia Raheem

How’d you do in each category? Use this guide to make continuous improvements and prioritize your rest in a balanced way.