5 Amazing Activities for 7 Types of Rest

In this era of fast-paced world, we are thinking and learning constantly. We are putting in a lot of effort to make use of every second and every opportunity in front of us, in order to produce the best results. Our achievements and success stories are evidence of the hard work and energy that goes into being what we are today.

However, this takes a toll on us. Why? Because we leave no space for rest. By rest, I mean not only physical rest but all types of rest. Here is a list and a brief description of 7 types of rest- physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional and spiritual.

Physical Rest

This is as simple to understand as it sounds. Physical rest is of two types- passive and active. Passive includes activities such as sleeping and taking naps whereas active refers to exercising such as walking, cycling etc.

Mental Rest

Mental rest means deviating the mind and concentrating on other tasks in order to discontinue from the thoughts of work and pressure for some time.

Sensory Rest

Sensoy rest is about giving short breaks to sense organs in this over-stimulating world. We are constantly engaged in screens and surrounded by noise all the time. To give some break to sense organs, closing eyes for a minute and unplugging earphones for a few minutes can do wonders.

Creative Rest

This simply means giving some space to the brain for not producing creative ideas for time being. When constantly creating content or planning innovative strategies, the creative energy gets discharged and needs sometime to recharge again. This break is the time for creative rest.

Emotional Rest

This rest signifies allowing the time and space to freely express oneself without caring much about others around.

Social Rest

We are social animals and need friends and people around us to function well. However, it can get overwhelming. Social rest is all about segregating the identity from groups and identifying the self in solitude.

Spiritual Rest

Counter to what it sounds like- a break from spirituality, spiritual rest instead focuses on disconnecting from the material world and feeling a deeper sense of identity and oneness.

Listed below are 5 activities I engage in for 7 types of rest to leverage multiple benefits:

Journaling

It might seem like a silly thing to do; however, the benefits it offers are immense. There are various types of journaling like gratitude journaling, calendar journaling, creative journaling and more. Journaling caters to emotional, mental and social rest as you get to freely experience your feelings and recharge yourself with positive energy with pen and paper or gadgets.

Cleaning

We all know the benefits of clean surroundings; however, the very act of cleaning adds onto those benefits. When surroundings are tidy and organized, the mental state becomes calm. The stress is reduced and productivity increases manifolds. Cleaning is simply putting the things back in place and removing dust and dirt from objects, which requires no innovative ideas and creativity. This makes space for creative rest. Moreover, body movements while cleaning makes space for active physical rest.

Meditating

Meditation helps in regulating mood, boosting productivity, reducing stress and increasing self-awareness. While sitting in a comfortable position and being in the present moment, one experiences passive physical and also mental rest. At the same time, it provides sensory and spiritual rest when one withdraws the senses from the material world and feels a deep sense of belonging and purpose.

Reading

Reading can range from newspapers and magazines to classics and blogs. Apart from enhancing knowledge, vocabulary and analytical skills; reading also helps in reducing stress, fighting depression and also in lowering blood pressure and heart rate. At the same time, while sitting comfortably in solitude, one can enjoy passive physical and social rest.

Colouring

This might sound like a pretty childish activity but honestly, it gives a lot of satisfaction and peace. One can draw simple shapes or elements and then colour them or purchase a colouring book and use it often to fill in colours in those printed drawings. The medium can range from pencil colours to water colours. This activity is so peaceful because when one indulges in colouring, one experiences physical, mental, sensory, emotional and social rest.

Instead of spending time on social media and gossips, these activities help in my personal development and allow me to rest from time to time. Which are some activities that you engage yourself in? Do let me know in the comments below 😊