I ran across an article this week that blew my mind. In it, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith posits that there are seven –SEVEN!– types of rest we need in order to optimize well-being. While we may typically think of “rest” as getting enough quality sleep, Dr. Dalton-Smith expands upon this definition of rest to include mind, body, and spirit. The good news: you may be supporting your well-being in many of these way, already. Let’s take a look.

7 Types of Rest

1. Physical: sleep, gentle movement, massage

2. Mental: mindfulness, practicing “being” versus “doing”

3. Sensory: phone on DND, turning of the tv, decluttering your environment

4. Creative: writing, listening to or playing music, daydreaming

5. Emotional: meditation, journaling, practicing boundaries

6. Social: alone time, social media breaks, tending to relationships that matter

7. Spiritual: connecting with a sense of purpose, time in nature, volunteering

Which forms of rest would benefit you to practice more? If you’d like coaching support and accountability around incorporating more rest into your well-being practices, reach out! I’d love to support you around this!