Seven types of rest to help restore your body's energy

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 Seven Types Of  Rest To Help Restore your Body's Energy 

        Feeling exhausted? If you’re getting enough sleep but still feel fatigued, you may be neglecting other, equally important forms of rest. While sleep is a major component of well-being, this month, as we focus on mental health awareness, experts recommend diversifying and personalizing your rest to feel more energized.

“Without rest, we are like elastic bands stretched almost all the way to capacity,” said Natalie Dattilo-Ryan, Ph.D., an instructor at Harvard Medical School and owner of Priority Wellness Therapy. “Rest is a form of self-care that decreases the tension, so when that stressful phone call or email comes, you won’t snap.”

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, explained the importance of a holistic approach to rest in a 2021 TED Talk: “We’ve incorrectly combined the concepts of sleep and rest and in doing so, we have dumbed down rest to the point it appears ineffective,” Dalton-Smith said. “The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired, burned-out individuals.”

Dalton-Smith described seven essential types of rest required to address the “rest deficit” that pervades American culture. Along with preventing fatigue and burnout, rest can play a role in improving resilience to everyday challenges.

While rest sometimes means taking a break from draining activities, it can also be active, said Dr. Marianna Strongin, a clinical psychologist and owner of Strong In Therapy in New York City. For example, spending time with supportive people, taking your favorite workout class, or going on a nature walk can all be restful. The key is to identify where you use the most energy and focus on finding what restores you in those particular areas.

The seven essential types of rest include:

  1. Physical rest. This may include prioritizing sleep or taking a nap when you need one. But physical rest, Strongin says, doesn’t always mean being still — maybe you get a massage to address tense muscles after a stressful week or stretch instead of doing a hard workout.
  2. Mental rest. Mental rest means finding ways to quiet your thoughts, to give your brain a chance to refuel. Giving your brain a rest at work or school may look like scheduling breaks from mentally taxing work or swapping draining tasks for low-stakes, mindless ones, like folding laundry or working on a puzzle.
  3. Emotional rest. Emotional rest, Strongin said, involves finding practical ways to authentically express your feelings, freeing you of the exhausting pressure of “holding it together.” You may also set limits and boundaries with emotionally draining people and roles, or turn your phone on “do not disturb” mode to distance yourself from emotionally stressful demands or conversations.
  4. Social rest. Introverts aren't the only ones who need social rest. Being around other people all the time means being “on,” which can be draining for anyone. “It’s important to focus on relationships that feel supportive and meaningful,” said Laurie Santos, PhD, professor of psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast.
  5. Sensory rest. The world can be loud, and constant exposure to technology only increases the noise, potentially overwhelming your senses. “Try to occasionally take breaks from anything you rely on your senses to register, whether background noise in your environment or screens that strain your eyes,” said Dattilo-Ryan.
  6. Creative rest. Find ways to engage in creative hobbies simply for fun, rather than productivity. Santos said participating in activities that inspire a sense of awe and wonder, like visiting an art museum or taking in a beautiful lakeside or ocean view, can also restore your creative reserves.
  7. Spiritual rest. Spiritual rest looks different for different people, but can mean taking steps toward what feels nourishing to you, said Santos — refilling your tank by connecting to a meaningful cause, or simply taking time to enjoy the beauty of nature.

If you find yourself resistant to rest, it may help to reframe the idea of rest altogether. Rather than a passive act that hinders your progress or productivity, think of rest as an investment in your energy store.

“I think about energy like a bank account,” said Dattilo-Ryan. “When you’re busy, you’re making withdrawals and not many deposits. When you rest, you’re building a diversified portfolio of investments into your account.”

And remember: How you rest should be as unique as you are.

“We all vary in terms of capacity and needs, but also within ourselves day-to-day,” said Dattilo-Ryan. “It’s a matter of asking yourself habitually, ‘How am I doing and what do I need?’”

The state of mental health in the U.S.

A new survey by The Harris Poll in partnership with APA revealed more than half of U.S. adults (51%) feel positive about their mental health right now, and more than 4 in 5 adults (83%) said they are comfortable talking about their mental health.

However, younger adults may still be struggling to ask for help. Results showed younger adults were more likely to feel negative about their mental health, and nearly a quarter of them stated they were not comfortable talking about their mental health, more than any other age group.

Read more survey findings about public attitudes toward mental health, and tell us in the comments:

What are you doing to protect your mental health these days?

Six tips psychologists use to boost their well-being

Self-care is essential for our mental health, but often difficult to prioritize.

You can start by focusing only on one activity you can fit into your daily schedule. Six psychologists shared their non-negotiable self-care ritual that keeps them on track and feeling good every day.

Their strategies include:

  • daily check-ins to bring attention to emotions,
  • blocking time off for regular exercise,
  • prioritizing social support,
  • using professional capital to advocate for healthier boundaries in their work culture, and more.

Is mental health still misconstrued on screen? Psychology goes to Hollywood

Psychologists are increasingly assisting Hollywood and other entertainment hubs to ensure on-screen mental health portrayals are accurate, nuanced, and inclusive of all communities and identities.

Experts such as Helen Hsu, Psy.D. 徐華, who consulted on the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, emphasize the power of storytelling in reducing stigma, encouraging critical conversations, and modeling healthy ways to cope and seek support. The work has pain points but can be very rewarding.

Professionals looking to contribute can navigate challenges by establishing expertise and learning effective collaboration with creatives, such as through trainings offered by the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative.

Fighting the stigma of mental illness

Despite how common mental illness is, people often keep their diagnosis a closely guarded secret in the face of widespread stigma and discrimination.

In this Speaking of Psychology podcast episode, Patrick Corrigan, PsyD, editor of APA’s journal Stigma and Health, discussed where this stigma comes from, how it affects people’s lives, why those with mental illness need to share their stories, and whether celebrities’ new openness about mental health is decreasing stigma.

Five stories you shouldn't miss this Mother's Day


American Psychological Association

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