I’m writing this with the Holiday Season in full swing. I’ve been hearing from so many who are feeling exhausted and worn out. If that’s you, Holiday season or not I want you to know that you are not alone and life is full of seasons where we need more rest and different types of rest too.  

Usually when we hear the word rest most of us think about sleep or maybe the lack thereof! Well you are not wrong; getting enough physical rest and sleep is an important part of our self care and mental health resilience.  Sleep is incredibly important to our overall health.  When we sleep it allows our brains to store new information and gets rid of toxic waste. It allows our nerve cells to communicate and reorganize.  Our bodies also repair cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins. Short answer: yes we need sleep but long answer rest is so much more than just sleep.

There are 7 types of rest in fact. 

1. Physical: getting enough sleep, stretching, resting your body
2. Mental: meditation, taking a break from stimulation
3. Emotional: Journaling, crying, expressing emotions
4. Sensory: quiet time, break from stimulation, being in nature, a break from screens
5. Creative: making something from nothing like cooking, crafting, or allowing yourself to create for joy and fun not for monetary gain (for all the creators out there feeling burned out)
6. Social: can go both ways spending time with others who give you energy or spending time alone 
7. Spiritual: meditation, reflection, or prayer 

I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on these 7 types of rest and maybe grab your journal.  Now use the journaling prompts below:

•  Am I  feeling tired or worn out?
• How do I know I’m tired?
• How much physical rest  am I getting a day?  Is that enough?
• Am I getting enough rest?
• What are examples of ways I have gotten physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social, and spiritual rest this week?
• What type of rest am I needing right now?

Now it’s time for action. 

• How can I get more rest?