The 7 Types of Rest (& How To Incorporate Them)

Have you ever woken up still tired after sleeping a full 8-10 hours? You had the best sleep you’ve had in weeks but you feel just as fatigued? That’s because there’s more to being fully rested than getting enough sleep. In this post I’ll introduce the 7 types of rest, originally proposed by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, to help you recognize which type of exhaustion your body is truly feeling, and give examples of actions you can take to feel wholly refreshed in all seven ways. 

The 7 Types of Rest

While yes, the body does need sleep in order to rest and recover, there are many other reasons you may be feeling depleted. According to Dr. Dalton-Smith, the 7 types of rest are: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual.¹ These different parts of us all need different kinds of rest to feel rejuvenated. 

Physical Rest

You’ve probably heard of this one before, but did you know there are two separate kinds of physical rest the body needs? The first kind is passive, which includes sleeping and napping. The second is active, which is achieved through movement, i.e., yoga, stretching, or going for a walk. Signs you’re depleted in this area of rest are physical symptoms such as exhaustion or fatigue. 

Mental Rest

Mental rest is what you do to quiet your racing thoughts or to clear your head when you feel like you have too much going on. If you find yourself experiencing brain fog or forgetting things often, chances are you’re in need of more mental rest. To recover from this exhaustion, try scheduling short breaks throughout your day to pause and do nothing. You can also journal before bed to empty your mind of any thoughts that might keep you up.

Sensory Rest

Day in and day out, our senses are constantly inundated with an overload of information. Bright lights everywhere we look, screens in our faces throughout the day, multitasking at every turn, and so much noise. Just as your mind and your body both need time to recharge, so do all of your senses. In a society designed to keep you distracted in every way, it is becoming increasingly important (and more difficult) to get this kind of rest. Signs of sensory overwhelm include overstimulation, screen fatigue, and irritability. But as easy as it is to wear out our senses, it is also easy to rest them.  Walking in nature helps to calm our senses, as well as detoxing from screens and all our digital devices. Even just closing your eyes for a few moments throughout your day can go a long way.

Creative Rest

When you’re constantly under pressure to perform and are chronically stressed, you can experience creative exhaustion. This looks like a lack of inspiration and motivation, and difficulty coming up with new ideas and problem-solving. You can restore yourself from this kind of exhaustion by appreciating beauty, whether that’s in the form of art, nature, or something you created yourself. For example, take a moment to stop and take in the vibrant colors of your neighbor’s landscaping. Notice and appreciate the intricate details of a tree across the street from your office. By noticing and admiring all the simple things, you allow your mind the space to be creative without the pressure. 

Emotional Rest

Do you often repress your thoughts and emotions for fear of what other people might think, or find yourself people-pleasing? These are signs that you are in need of emotional rest. In order to get that, you need to be able to safely express yourself, whether that’s with a trusted few friends or family members or maybe by yourself. Some people also find that therapy is a good way to do this. You need to have real conversations, where you’re not constantly worrying about saying the right thing or whether or not you should’ve said that last sentence.  

Social Rest

Similar to emotional rest, the need for social rest is often due to unfulfilling social interactions that we have. Interactions with a toxic person in your life, maybe a friend, a coworker, or boss, can leave you feeling depleted. To feel socially rested, you need to differentiate between the people in your life who drain your cup and the people who fill it, and spend more time with the people who leave you feeling energized. Sometimes, the best form of social rest is spending good, quality time with yourself. 

Spiritual Rest

The seventh and final form of rest that everyone needs is spiritual rest. And no, this does not mean you have to practice a certain religion or pray to a certain god. Spiritual rest is about faith, but in the sense that everyone needs to feel a sense of belonging and a connection to something bigger. Having faith in a religion or a belief system can leave you feeling spiritually rested, and so can having faith in yourself and trusting that you’re on the right path. There is a direct negative correlation between faith and depression; depression is a hopeless and faithless state.² A lack of spiritual rest can leave you feeling hollow, purposeless, and hopeless. Thus, there is a need for faith in some capacity in your life, whether that be through prayer, meditation, the belief in something bigger, etc. 

How to Know What Kind of Rest You Need

All these kinds of rest are great, but just knowing about them isn’t going to have a profound impact on your life. Practice constant self-awareness and stay in tune with your body to know which areas you’re feeling depleted in. And if you’re having difficulty identifying those areas, try journaling. Ask yourself what symptoms you’re experiencing, and in what areas of your life you’ve been giving a lot recently. Sometimes it helps to put it all down on paper. 

Rest and Realignment

Many of us feel disconnected from ourselves because we are so overwhelmed that we’ve lost sight of what truly matters. By slowing down, recharging yourself, and focusing on allowing yourself all 7 types of rest, you begin to gain clarity and the ability to refocus on what’s important to you. Staying well-rested is a form of self-love and self-care, and is essential to living in alignment with yourself. If you’re not well rested, you’re not thinking as clearly as you could be, and if you’re not thinking clearly, how can you create a life that’s in alignment with who you are?

1.  Dalton-Smith, Saundra. “The 7 Types of Rest That Every Person Needs.” ideas.ted.com, July 25, 2024. https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/. ↩︎
2.  Pauker, Samuel L, and Miriam Arond. “Hope, Faith, and Depression.” Psychology Today, January 31, 2024. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/202209/hope-faith-and-depression. ↩︎