Why Am I Always Tired? - The 7 Types of Rest
If you feel exhausted even after a full night of sleep, you are not alone. Research indicates that 20% of adults and 11.7% of minors experience fatigue, whilst chronic fatigue (e.g. fatigue lasting for more than six months) affects 10% of adult and 1.5% of minors.
This exaustion is often due to stress and demands of our daily lives, and unfortunately chronic stress could lead to a condition you might’ve heard of: burnout.
When we are stressed, our brain enters into “fight or flight” mode, keeping us in a state of constant alertness. To find out more about the fight or flight system, I advise you to read my article on managing anxiety. The opposite of flight and flight is “rest and digest”, meaning that to prevent stress, we need to rest.
Most people won’t be aware that there are actually seven different types of resting, each addressing different needs. If you are always tired, it could be that the rest you are giving to your body, is not the rest you actually need. “But what are these seven types of rest?”, you may ask.
The seven types of rest
Physical rest
This is the one we would all be familiar with, which involves resting our body to maintain good physical health. Physical rest can be divided into passive and active physical rest.
Passive physical rest includes good quality sleep, which helps your body recover from the physical demands of daily life, reducing muscle tension and boosting energy levels. On the other hand, active physical rest involves activities such as yoga, massages, and any other kind of restorative activities that help your body relax and recharge.
Mental Rest
This is the type of rest you will need if you are affected by constant streams of thoughts that you would like to pause. Mental rest involves engaging in mindful activities, such as reading or swimming. You can also try taking frequent breaks throughout the day. In addition, if the stream of thoughts keeps you awake ant night, you could try jotting down some thoughts before going to bed.
Sensory Rest
This type of rest allows us to take a break from the overload of sensory inputs that we experience in modern life. To engage in sensory rest, you could try simple actions such as closing your eyes for a minute during the day, using earplugs, or dimming your lights. Sensory deprivation tanks are another option for deeper sensory rest.
Creative Rest
Essential for creatives and problem-solvers, creative rest allows you take a break from the constant idea generating process. You might be in particular need of this type of rest if you are experiencing a creative block, a common symptom of exhaustion from over-creating. To engage in this type of rest, it is essential that you start consuming rather than creating. Read a book, visit a gallery or spend time in nature: all these activities will allow you to take a break and to get the inspiration you need to get back with your work
Emotional Rest
This is for all the people pleasers out there! Emotional rest involves prioritising your own wellbeing and setting healthy boundaries. To engage in this type of rest, you need to be honest about your feelings and stepping away from emotionally draining situations. Emotional rest can improve your emotional intelligence and your relationships, leading to a greater sense of inner peace.
Social Rest
You might be in need of social rest if you constantly feel drained after hanging out with certain people. To engage in this type of rest, you need to be very strict and conduct a friendship review to identify who fills your cup and who drains it. Cut out the social vampires from your life, and surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Remember that you are the average of the five people you spend most time with - for this reason, social rest not only helps you build stronger, more fulfilling relationships, but it can also improve your mood and overall outlook on life.
Spiritual Rest
Spiritual rest involves finding meaning and purpose beyond your daily routine. This might look differently depending on one’s personal beliefs. For some people, spiritual rest can be achieved through prayer or reading a religious textbook; whilst for others it can be meditating, or other spiritual practices. Through spiritual rest you can achieve a deep sense of calm and a renewed perspective on life.
conclusion
Fatigue can lead to exhaustion, and exhaustion can lead to burnout. The only way to fight this, is to rest and there are actually seven different types of rest we could be engaging with. Ideally we should incorporate all of these to our routine at least once a week. However, you could also try to identify which type of rest you might be in need of and start with focusing on that.
References
https://psychyourselfup.substack.com/...
https://www.calm.com/blog/7-types-of-...
https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-...
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...