7 Types of Rest (It’s Not Just Sleep!)
I woke up this morning before my alarm went off. Normally that would be exciting because it means the circadian rhythm is working well and I'm waking up naturally with the sun.
The problem is that I woke up feeling so tired.
So, I didn't get out of bed when I first woke up. I laid there trying to go back to sleep for another hour—to no avail. I tossed and turned, but the light coming through my window had already set the gears in my brain turning for the day. (Does that ever happen to you? Surely it's not just me!)
I have this constant list of to-do's—events to remember, work projects to finish, friends to check in on, groups to prep for. I don't have a sleep-tracker, like a Fitbit or Oura ring, but, if I did, I'm sure it would show you how poorly I sleep through the night. I think part of the reason is because I don't rest well. I let the imaginary lists run through my head over and over again all day long, and I don't give myself to unwind.
I'd imagine you might experience that, too.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 36% of women are not getting enough sleep. And maybe sleep isn't the aspect of rest you neglect. Maybe you run around all day long and never give your body and mind the opportunity to be still and quiet.
But, rest is so important. It's a gift from the Lord. He wants us to rest. Alicia mentioned something important about this in one of our podcast episodes.
“When we are still, we acknowledge with our bodies and with our minds and with our spirits that God is God and we are not.”
We naturally want to do what we want to do. But, stillness and rest require us to let go of those desires and the control we think we have when we move constantly. Resting reminds us that we are not in control but God is. Resting gives us the opportunity to let go of our need for control and rest in the sovereignty and peace of God.
But, not all rest is the same for each of us and the different seasons we're in. There are actually seven types of rest:
physical
spiritual
mental
social
sensory
emotional
creative
Each of these forms of rest is essential for us to live with more peace every day. But, depending on where you're at in life right now, you might find some forms of rest more easily accessible than others.
For instance, if you're in school, you're experiencing a lot of mental stimulation. So, doing something physical can help bring rest and balance out the mental heaviness of school or your job. If you work remotely (hey—that's me too!) and don't have a lot of meetings or calls, you likely spend a lot of time by yourself or in your own head. So, doing something social like spending time with friends or going to a local event, can help balance that out.
Take a look at your day-to-day and consider:
Which of the 7 types of rest do you feel you need to work on the most?
Rest is so much more than our sleep. It's creating time and space to let go of control and excess noise and just be for a little while. We’re praying you discover more of that this week.
If you'd like to share, we'd love to hear! Leave a comment below or send us an email, and let us know which type of rest you'd like to prioritize more and how you might do so. If you need help coming up with rest ideas, we can hopefully help with that too!