Who knew there were so many ways to get rest and help replenish your mind, body, and spirit?
Foot-Joy Reflexology definitely didn't. Which is why we thought others might be in the dark about the different types of rest. So, we wanted to share what we'd learned.
#1 Physical Rest can be either passive or active. Passive rest consists of sleeping and napping. Active rest consists of activities such as yoga, mindfulness, stretching, meditation, reiki, massage, and, of course, Reflexology.
#2 Mental Rest is taking moments to unplug the mind as much as possible. You can achieve this by changing your focus and abandoning tasks, worries, and problems momentarily. Not taking mental rest breaks during the day, is one of the reasons you could still feel tired after a night's sleep. So, take at least 20 minutes every two hours in your workday by moving your body, stretching, taking a little walk, or incorporating another healthy habit. Having a notebook at hand to write down ideas that come to mind often helps free your headspace at well. Just in case you're wondering, watching television is not mental rest!
#3 Sensory Rest can be achieved by reducing the brightness of your environment. For example, take pauses from screens, such as cell phones and computers, or noises that interrupt and exhaust. Also, try closing your eyes for a minute and breathing deeply, taking air through your nose and slowly releasing it through the mouth. You can repeat this throughout the day.
#4 Creative Rest can be achieved by taking breaks that reposition your mind and stimulate creativity. Ways to do this include enjoying the outdoors and walking aimlessly. Or, you can enjoy art in all its forms; e.g., read or listen to music. You can also adapt your workplace to create a favorable creative climate by using aromas or surrounding yourself with images of wonderful memories and grateful experiences from your life.
#5 Emotional Rest means working internally on self-awareness to get to know yourself better. A fundamental step is learning to say no and trying to satisfy everyone. Also, you can explore and process the challenging aspects of your current and past life, and work on abandoning what has weighed you down. As a result, you may feel greater inner strength and a lightness, which facilitates a better rest.
#6 Social Rest means becoming more aware of the relationships you maintain. Understand which ones exhaust you versus those that nourish you and help you grow. Surround yourself with positive, understanding people, with whom you can share your goals and desires, and always be authentic. Acknowledge your honest feelings so that you can choose the things you want to do and say no to others. #7 Spiritual Rest allows you to connect with something higher. Ideas on how to achieve this are taking on a volunteer role, doing a service for someone in need, or helping raise awareness. By focusing on a greater purpose, it allows you to move beyond the physical body and mind. Also, try to find the space for self-acceptance and forgiveness for your mistakes.
Which type of rest is best for you? Since all of these provide unique benefits, you may want to try using a combination of all seven types to balance and maximize your energy. Whatever you do, don't put off getting rest any longer!
*Source: ARCB's Reflexology News, Winter 2021 Edition. Originally published in Epoch Times' Entrepreneur, 9/14/2021.