MAKING TIME TO REST

Last year, I decided to do deep dive into wellness to get a better understanding of what wellness is and if my practices were scientifically proven. My curiosity led me to become a certified wellness coach. I learned a lot about nutrition, physical activity, emotional health and rest. If you are like me, you might not completely understand what rest is, or you might even take it for granted. Today, I am taking a little time to share with you my learnings on rest, its importance, and how you can incorporate it into your wellness routine. 

Of course, I rest. I sleep every night. 

Before becoming a wellness coach, resting was often the last thing on my to-do list. I equated rest to sleep. To my surprise, rest and sleep are two different things. 

You need actual rest.

“We were never meant to work to earn our rest, but to work from a place of rest,” says Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest. “If you’re waking up (after sleeping) and still exhausted, the issue probably isn’t sleep. It’s likely a rest deficit.”

According to Dr. Dalton-Smith, there are 7 types of rest that every person needs. Here they are: 

• Physical

  • Needed to recharge your body by allowing it to slow down and repair

  • Most common type of rest that our body feels that it needs it

  • How you will know: If you struggle to open your eyes, you have headaches or muscle strains, and your body feels low on energy

  • How to get rest: Take a nap during the day

• Creative

  • You allow yourself to see things differently and explore the world around you

  • Find new inspiration in life.

  • How you will know: When you feel a need to find new inspiration in your life

  • How to get rest: Read something inspiring

• Spiritual

  • Feel anchored and realigned with our sense of purpose and harmony in life (Dr. Saundra)

  • Allows us to connect with the greater self by drawing new meaning in our lives

  • How you will know: When you feel unanchored and alone 

  • How to get rest: Meditation

• Emotional 

  • You offload your emotions and make yourself feel lighter

  • Will save you from going through emotional burnout

  • How will you know: Feeling low recently, having frequent crying episodes or feeling a lack of motivation

  • How to get rest: Talk to a therapist

• Sensory

  • Retreat from sensory overload by reconnecting with yourself and your senses

  • How will you know: you have been consuming a lot of receptive input (noises, lights, smells, talks, and pollution) and you feel drained

  • How to get rest: go outside and feel the sun on your face or the rain on your skin

• Social

  • Restore yourself by connecting with your people, tribe, and social group

  • Helps us feel connected and makes our bond stronger with those around us

  • How will you know: You feel the need to connect with others because loneliness is feeding on you

  • How to get rest: Take a break from others and connect with yourself

• Mental 

  • Recharge our brains and concentrate on our daily life tasks again

  • How will you know: You find it difficult to concentrate even on the most basic tasks, your thoughts turn negative and judgmental thinking takes over

  • How to get rest: Unplug from technology.

Learn more about rest in Dr. Dalton-Smith’s TED Talk. 

Learning how to rest.

My key takeaway from diving deep into wellness and rest? Rest is necessary, and it’s ok to press the pause button. Pre-COVID,I would get a monthly full-body massage and go on an annual vacation with my sister. Now I understand resting is not supposed to be an exception to everyday life; it is supposed to be a part of our daily routines.

What are some ways you will incorporate rest into your daily routine? Tell us about it in the comments below or @plantbasedslay on Instagram.

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