Did you know there's 7 types of rest? When you're feeling "tired" and unable to restore, may be that you're not engaging the right type of rest. Rest isn't just sleep. We recharge in multiple ways.

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1. The first is the obvious, physical. And yes, that's sleep, but it can also mean deep breaths, stretching, yoga, or other physical activities. Sometimes our bodies want movement, not just sleep. We may be tired of being still. Esp with many of us seated all day.

2. The second is mental rest. Stepping away from our screens to breathe or meditate can help our mental rest. If meditation is too "crazy" for you - then just take a time to look out the window. Or journaling about your day. Something that allows your mind to settle.

3. The third is social and this one is a biggie in today's "zoom call" world. Creating boundaries on how many hangouts and video chats can help you rest. Introverts are really good at this (my fellow extroverts may have difficulty recognizing this).

4. The fourth type of rest is creative. It's important that creative rest involves no problem solving or high level thinking. Reading a book or going for a walk. By NOT thinking about problems we allow creative inspiration. Creativity thrives in a low pressure environment.

5. The fifth type of rest is emotional. This can be through formal therapy or as simple as off loading feelings to a listener. But it's important that we not bottle up our emotions, but find restful (and safe) ways to express them.

6. The sixth way is spiritual. To be spiritual is to celebrate something you feel has worth or value. It's finding a practice that grounds you to your values or beliefs. For some that's religion, for others it's volunteering or community building.

7. Lastly, the seventh for of rest is sensory. When we face sensory overload it's closing eyes and stepping away from sights and sounds and allowing quiet. Turning off the podcast, music, news and allowing the sounds of our room.

Many of these restful techniques intersect. Meditation hits all 7 types of rest at once! So when you think "I'm tired" notice *how* you're feeling tired - and attempt a restful technique that recharges you.

Be well!

h/t to Shine app peoples for the reminder here and inspiration for this thread: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZgJ6kjF9KxBoUb8TdrBKv?si=-taXHmuaROGjt2PlRNrBlQ