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In today’s world, we’re constantly on the go. Whether it’s work, hobbies, socialising, or household chores, ‘busyness’ seems to have become synonymous with productivity, leaving rest at the bottom of the priority pile.
However, we know from research that more isn’t always better. In fact, it’s becoming more common for people to report feeling tired, stressed, or burnt out, even after a good night’s sleep. There’s also an element of guilt that can come with resting, only adding to the dilemma.
If you struggle to rest well, you might be wondering how you can begin incorporating it into your routine, or why it’s even important. Here, we’ll explore everything you need to know about rest, including what resting actually looks like and why it’s important.
What is rest?
When thinking about rest, you might picture getting a good night’s sleep or sitting on the sofa. But, according to experts, rest doesn’t just mean the absence of work or activity.
Rest refers to a deliberate pause and a state where the body and mind can reset, repair, and recover. It’s essentially any activity (or non-activity) that helps restore balance and energy in different areas of our lives.
Depending on your needs, rest can be passive, like sleeping or lying down. Or it can be active, like meditating, walking in nature, or other activities that help you relax.
Why is rest important?
According to the Mental Health Foundation, holistic rest focuses on refreshing our whole self, both physically and mentally. It’s what allows us to stop, breathe, and re-orientate before stepping back into daily life refreshed, thriving rather than surviving.
A lack of rest can negatively affect everything from how energised you feel to your mood, concentration, immunity, and risk of chronic health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Meanwhile, research has highlighted various benefits of having daily rest and relaxation, including reduced stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improved mood, immune health, heart function, and problem-solving skills.
And, while it may seem counterproductive, rest is actually essential for productivity, enabling recovery and boosting memory and creativity. Research consistently shows that productivity declines when we’re tired.
Yet, many of us experience a sense of shame attached to the idea of rest, leaving us feeling like we can’t, or don’t deserve to, take time for ourselves. However, beyond being unhelpful, experts say these narratives are unhealthy and even dangerous, because rest is crucial for avoiding excessive tiredness and burnout. It’s important to remember that your wellbeing is more important than the to-do lists in front of you.
What types of rest do we need?
Resting isn’t always just about physical rest, solved by a straightforward sit down on the sofa or a good night’s sleep. According to experts at the Mental Health Foundation, we need several types of rest to function at our best, which we’ll cover below.
Physical rest
Physical rest is about resting the body. Whether after a long walk, playing sports, or on days when it feels like we just don’t stop, our bodies need time to rest, recover, and repair.
And, even on days when we don’t necessarily move much, we can still experience physical fatigue. For example, you might notice aches, pains, and tension in your body after remaining in the same posture for long periods. Chronic stress can also affect physical health because we enter a constant state of ‘fight or flight’ mode, where heart rate and cortisol levels increase.
While we can’t always control the number of tasks we have, physical rest involves making a conscious effort to regularly step out of ‘fight or flight’ mode. As well as prioritising consistent, good-quality sleep, you can also rest your body by taking a bath, doing restorative movements like yoga or walking, and practising breathing exercises.
Mental rest
We all know the feeling of mental overload, when it feels like you’re juggling multiple balls at once: family, work, personal health, and so on. This can take significant mental energy to maintain, and the background noise and pressure of constantly needing to be ‘on’ can make it difficult to switch off.
While our brains are never inactive, experts say there’s a big difference in how it functions when ‘switched on’ versus at rest. Research shows that when we rest, our brains enter the Default Mode Network (DMN), where we can move our focus from the outside world toward inward-focused thinking and feeling. DMN has been found to help increase self-awareness, memory, and improve creative ability.
According to experts, the key to giving your mind a break is to find an activity that’s all-consuming, but not too mentally strenuous. For example, reading a good book, trying hobbies like gardening and knitting, and regularly practising mindfulness.
Social rest
Humans are wired for connection. However, as many of us know, while some connections in life feel effortless, even replenishing, others can use up a lot of energy.
We all have different social batteries, much of which is linked to our personality type and whether we’re introverted or extroverted. For this reason, social rest can be highly personal: while some of us feel restored by spending time with loved ones, others need plenty of time alone to recharge their batteries.
Being able to set healthy boundaries and learning how to say ‘no’ is key for resting your social batteries.
Emotional rest
In a highly technological world of constant connection, it’s common for us to frequently encounter things that can trigger a range of emotions – for example, watching the news or scrolling on social media. It’s no wonder that so many of us feel emotionally depleted or overwhelmed.
Rather than burying emotions and distracting ourselves, experts say emotional rest involves taking time to address and process them. This can be done via external or internal processing, for example, talking to someone you trust or journaling by yourself to help clarify and work through thoughts and feelings.
Spiritual rest
Spiritual rest refers to the idea that we have a ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ that lies deeper than our fluctuating emotions. For example, even on days where everything appears to be going well, we might experience a deeper sense of unease, or a feeling that something is ‘off’.
When our soul feels exhausted, we can experience a loss of purpose. For those who are spiritual or religious, soul exhaustion might feel like being distant from their faith. Other times, it can be linked to significant life events or periods of difficulty.
Spiritual rest is deeply personal but often involves reconnecting with the things in life that drive us and give us purpose. Among other things, experts say journaling, reading theological texts, taking time to pray, connecting with nature, or finding a safe space to raise questions or concerns can help.
Sensory rest
Life can sometimes feel like an overload for the senses. From public transport that’s busy and loud to computer-based work that tires our eyes, for many of us, the only time our senses get a break is when we sleep.
For neurodiverse people, these experiences can be even more overwhelming. Nevertheless, whether we’re neurodiverse or neurotypical, resting our senses is important.
You might like to rest your sight by limiting screen time in the evening, your smell by taking a walk in nature, or your hearing by incorporating silent, meditative time. In a society where screens are used for both work and rest, experts recommend taking a few hours a week to actively step away from technology.
Final thoughts...
In our fast-paced world, rest can sometimes feel like a luxury. However, while taking the time to rest can feel difficult, even unnatural, proper rest, in all its forms, is essential for health.
Luckily, research shows that taking simple steps like daily journaling, relaxing in the bath, and setting healthy boundaries can go a long way.
For further reading, head over to our general health section.
What are your favourite ways to rest? Will you be introducing any new forms of rest to your routine? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
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