“You do this better than anyone I know,” these were the words one of my best friends sent me yesterday. Along with an article titled, “Restore, Renew, Replenish: The Kind of Rest You Need to Thrive – Shape.”

Are you mindful of the rest you need? 

Do you feel like your mind and body are always on the go and you end up feeling exhausted, stressed and overwhelmed? Science shows we need multiple forms of rest and that’s not just in the form of sleep. 

How are you doing in these 7 forms of rest? 

Creative: The types that inspire and motivates you

Mental: When you quiet your mind

Physical: The rest that relieves your body of muscle aches and tension

Social: You spend time on relationships you cherish and with people who enhance your being

Emotional: The ability to express your deepest feelings and be your genuine self

Sensory: Gives you a break from the world’s noise

Spiritual: You feel a part of something bigger and that you belong

Check in, be mindful that you need rest in all these areas in order to thrive. 

Make a plan for each area of rest…

For Creative Rest: Get in a flow state that promotes creativity: be outside, pull out the watercolors, pick up the guitar, do wood working, bake, etc.

For Mental Rest: Practice meditation, focus on breathing, give your brain the space to settle down. 

For Physical Rest: Be kind and do stretching or light yoga. Get a chiropractic adjustment. Move your body to relieve tension.

For Social Rest & Emotional Rest: Confide in a friend or family member and talk things out, let them know you have things bottled up and talk about your emotions. Talk often, get things off your chest with those you love. 

For Sensory Rest: embrace silence and time away from screens. Disable notifications on your phone.Turn your phone ringer off if you can, put time limits on apps, limit devices before you go to bed. Make your room as dark as possible when you sleep. 

For Spiritual Rest: Allow yourself to listen to your favorite spiritual music, go on walks and be in places that connects you to a higher power. Lean in to other people who make you feel part of something bigger. 

We can all be mindful of the rest we need and do things each day to rest. With the right kind of rest we can thrive and be able to handle hard things. Can we promise each other that we will be mindful and rest in all these areas? We owe it to ourselves so we can thrive, we need our energy, the world needs our energy. Let’s be kind to ourselves and rest.