Even if you get eight hours of sleep a night, you could be in a rest deficit, battling the fight against burnout during all your waking hours. Many of us assume that a good night’s sleep or a weekend getaway will fully recharge us—yet we still feel drained. That’s because true rest isn’t just about sleep; it’s about replenishing our well-being from a variety of angles.
Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., author of “Sacred Rest”, calls rest “the most underused, chemical-free, safe and effective alternative therapy available to us.” She identifies seven essential types of rest that help prevent burnout and optimize energy. Understanding these can transform the way we recover and restore balance.
7 Types of Rest That We Need
Physical Rest: Why you’re still tired
Physical rest is the most obvious type, but it goes beyond just clocking in hours of sleep. It includes passive rest (sleep, napping) and active rest, which helps the body recover through movement.
Signs you need physical rest: Muscle aches, tension, frequent injuries or waking up tired despite sleeping enough.
Try this: Incorporate active rest techniques like yoga, stretching or massage therapy to help restore circulation and reduce fatigue.
Mental Rest: Quieting the noise
Do you find your mind racing when you’re trying to sleep? That’s a sign of mental fatigue. Even if you get eight hours of sleep, your brain may still feel exhausted if you’re constantly processing information without giving your brain a break.
Signs you need mental rest: Difficulty concentrating, memory lapses or persistent overthinking.
Try this: Schedule short mental breaks throughout the day. Create some distance from your thoughts by visualizing your thoughts as snowflakes falling on pines to create separation from you and the mind’s frenetic activity.
Sensory Rest: Escaping overstimulation
Our world is full of noise—screens, notifications, background chatter and artificial lighting. Over time, constant stimulation overwhelms our senses and contributes to exhaustion.
Signs you need sensory rest: Feeling irritable, mentally drained or overly sensitive to light and noise.
Try this: Spend time during the day in natural light whenever possible, even if it’s just for five minutes at a time. Reduce screen time before bed and get in the habit of reading before bed instead of scrolling. Experiment with this grounding technique that uses your five senses to bring you back to the present moment by identifying: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste (saliva counts).
Emotional Rest: Releasing suppressed feelings
Emotional exhaustion comes from constantly overriding your emotions, suppressing feelings or absorbing others’ stress without an outlet.
Signs you need emotional rest: Feeling overwhelmed, easily irritated or emotionally numb.
Try this: Be honest about your emotions. Instead of brushing things off with “I’m fine,” practice acknowledging and expressing your true feelings. Surround yourself with people who offer emotional support.
Social Rest: Attuning to your social battery
Social rest isn’t about avoiding people—it’s about balancing restorative and draining interactions. Some relationships recharge us, while others leave us depleted.
Signs you need social rest: Feeling exhausted after social interactions or overwhelmed by social obligations.
Try this: Spend more time with people who energize and support you. Set boundaries with those who drain your energy and allow yourself quiet time when needed.
Creative Rest: Refueling inspiration
Creative fatigue happens when our brains are constantly engaged in problem-solving, brainstorming or artistic output without time to recharge.
Signs you need creative rest: Struggling with writer’s block, lack of inspiration or feeling stuck in problem-solving.
Try this: Surround yourself with inspiration without the pressure to produce—spend time in nature, visit an art exhibit or listen to music just for enjoyment. Taking a cue from author and creative extraordinaire Julia Cameron, invite yourself out on an artist’s date. In her words: “The Artist Date is the tool of attention. It has two differing emphases: “artist” and “date.” Put simply, an Artist Date is a once-weekly solo expedition to do something that enchants or interests you. It is half artist and half date. You are “wooing” your artist. Planned ahead of time—hence “date”—this weekly adventure is something to look forward to. As with a romantic date, anticipation is half the fun,” Cameron says. Her motto is play, and the ideas will come.
Spiritual Rest: Connecting to something greater
Spiritual rest is about finding meaning and connection beyond yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean religious practices—it can be anything that provides a deeper sense of purpose.
Signs you need spiritual rest: Feeling disconnected, unfulfilled or questioning the meaning of daily life.
Try this: Engage in mindfulness, prayer, meditation or acts of service. Join a community that aligns with your values, whether it’s a volunteer organization, meditation group or nature retreat.
Rookie rest mistakes
As you seek to boost your well-being by incorporating these types of rest into your life, it is equally important to avoid common missteps. Many people default to scrolling through their smartphone or binge-watching a TV series as their primary form of rest. The problem is that most people don’t feel rejuvenated after a screen session. Real rest leaves you feeling restored and energized.
Another common misconception is that the answer to exhausted is taking a vacation. While extended, unplugged time away is important, it is fleeting. For consistent, maximum benefit, rest needs to be integrated into our daily lifestyle as a continually cultivated resource.
Finally, there are many who believe they just don’t have the time to rest—which, counterintuitively, may be exactly those people who need rest the most.
“A successful life should have margin and quiet space,” Dalton-Smith says. “No one should be so consumed with work that there’s no time for restoration.”
The revolution will be restful
By recognizing these different types of rest, we can address fatigue in a way that sleep alone cannot. The next time you feel exhausted, ask yourself: What kind of rest do I actually need? The answer might surprise you. Prioritizing the right type of rest can help you feel, paradoxically, enlivened.
Featured Products
