I can relate to this. Are you tired all the time? Brain Fog (me) body aches (me), headaches (me) and fatigue (me) are all common symptoms of chronic tiredness. Yes, I know I didn’t help myself staying up all night in Ibiza… BUT some degree of sleeplessness does affect most of us at least some of the time.
The straightforward diagnosis is that you have not had enough sleep. But the alternative answer is you are not sufficiently rested in a more general sense.
The concept of “seven pillars of rest” was created by Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest. The theory is that to be truly restored you need physical, mental, creative, sensory, spiritual, emotional and social rest.
Here’s how you can go about achieving all seven types…
Physical Rest
Physical rest is either passive (sleeping) or active (restorative activities that help improve circulation and flexibility, such as yoga or massage).
Without enough sleep, we are at risk of disorders such as high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and more.
Meanwhile, active rest can help relieve the body of physical stress, such as muscle tension.
Try to loosen your body when you can to help you sleep better, such as by stretching before bed or throughout the day.
Mental Rest
Even if you sleep for 7 hours, are you still irritable the next day?
At night, do you struggle to switch off?
Dr Dalton-Smith says one needs to take short breaks throughout the day to slow the mind.
“Mental rest techniques can include keeping a notepad by your bed to jot down nagging thoughts,” she says.
Meditation and time away from technology can also quieten the mental noise.
Sensory Rest
A traffic jam, background conversations or bright office lights can lead to sensory overload, which is when the brain struggles to process the volume of information coming in from the five senses.
People who need sensory rest may find that they feel good at the beginning of the day, but can’t understand why at the end of the day they are so irritable.
Something as simple as closing your eyes for a few moments can help with this.
It’s also a good idea to unplug from your electronics at the end of each day.
Creative Rest
Imagine taking in a beautiful landscape, such as the beach or rolling mountains.
This is creative rest, which reawakens the childlike awe and wonder inside us.
You can’t spend 40 hours a week staring at beige walls and expect to feel passionate about anything or come up with ideas.
Make your workspace inspiring, with artwork or plants, for example.
Squeeze a museum visit into your lunch break, or stroll around a food market and eat something new.
Creative rest involves exposing yourself to inspiring environments without feeling the need to produce a creation.
Emotional Rest
Do you feel the need to be nice or cheery to others but, in the process, fail to put your own emotions first, and often feel under-appreciated?
You may need more emotional rest, and a key component is focusing on pleasing yourself and stopping pleasing others.
Lean on those you trust and don’t hide your feelings.
If it feels daunting to be vulnerable, start by writing down how you feel.
Learn to say “no”, even if it leads to confrontation. I DEFINITELY need to learn this one.
Social Rest
Social rest is closely linked to emotional rest and requires the wisdom to differentiate relationships that revive us from those that exhaust us.
So, if you surround yourself with negative people, you will soon start feeling like them.
Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.
Make time for friends who want nothing more than to be in your presence.
Dr Dalton-Smith also recommends prioritising face-to-face socialising over virtual.
Spiritual Rest
Have you been feeling a lack of purpose, wondering if there is more to life or perhaps if you have made the right choices?
You may be in need of spiritual rest, which is “to have a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose.
It might mean practising your religion or engaging with something that gives you a sense of purpose, whether through community or work, where you feel like what you do matters.
Alternatively, try yoga, quiet exercise or spend time outdoors in nature, either by going on a long walk, or just sitting outside listening to the birds.
