Once, when I browsed through some books online, a title grabbed my attention: Sacred Rest, by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. Say the title out loud or whisper the words … Let them sink in …

What do you feel or experience or see in your mind’s eye? I feel a calm spreading throughout my chest. I “see” Jesus next to the Sea of Galilee, walking with me and explaining how His yoke is light. Then He invites me to once again unburden myself to Him.

This is not what Dr. Dalton-Smith’s book is about, but her content intrigues me. She explains seven essential types of rest. On some level we all sort of know this, but she explains it in such a succinct and eye-opening way that many posts on social media are now spreading “the word” of different kinds of rest.

If you understand the differences and work on implementing them in your life, you can prevent burnout. You will gain more energy and you will experience life in high definition, full colour.

As most of us already understand that our temperaments make us multifaceted human beings, thinking about relaxation as equally multifaceted, feels quite familiar. I will leave it up to you to work out which types already resonate with you and which types don’t.

Ideally we should all rest in all the ways all the time, but of course this is impossible in our imperfect world. Your unique temperament traits will influence which kinds of rest come easy to you and which will feel like hard work.

The 7 types of rest according to Dr. Dalton-Smith:

1. Physical rest

Of course this includes proper sleep and taking a nap when you need it. But your body also rests when you engage in gentle movements like stretching, taking a leisurely stroll, or deliberately relaxing your muscles and focusing on deep breathing exercises.

This will improve your overall health and your immune response.

2. Mental rest

The brain – your mind – needs regular breaks from the constant attention it has to give to the demands of your life and all the screens in front of it. Prayer and contemplating Bible verses (or meditation) and switching your technology off to engage with people or nature are good ways to get some brain rest. 

This will improve your creativity, as well as your ability to focus and solve problems.

3. Emotional rest

No, you do not need to ignore or dismiss your emotions to take a break from them. Quite the opposite: You need times to allow yourself to feel and honestly express your feelings in a healthy way. This can mean a proper chat with a friend you trust, or going to a therapist when you need support.

This will increase your emotional intelligence (which will improve your relationships) and give you a greater sense of inner peace.

4. Sensory rest

Our five senses are bombarded with sensations. Yes, this includes screens, but also noise, artificial lights, spicy foods, pollution, etc. Make time for quiet surroundings, natural and dim lights (like candles or oil lamps), plain water and bland, earthy foods (like potatoes or beetroot) and spending more time in nature (your garden or someone else’s is fine if you cannot travel to a mountain or the beach on a regular basis).

This will lead to a calmer, more focused state of mind.

5. Creative rest

This will feel like an activity, but it will rejuvenate your creative side. Go and engage with any form of beauty, art, music, literature, theatre or nature conservation that peaks your curiosity and brings you pleasure to participate in or observe.

This will spark new ideas, enhance your problem-solving skills, and bring you joy.

6. Social rest

This will mean spending more time with positive and supporting people and less time with draining and toxic people. It could also mean that you need to increase or decrease the time you spend in solitude.

This will help you to strengthen your fulfilling connections and improve your mood and outlook on life.

7. Spiritual rest

No, no, no, this does not mean skipping church services or Bible study group sessions! Quite the opposite ... It means connecting to something greater than yourself and finding purpose and meaning. For a Christian this means building your relationship with God and – as in my visualisation – walking with Jesus and handing your burdens to Him.

This will provide a sense of peace and calm that transcends and surpasses all earthly understanding and comprehension.

Finding the balance

Nothing needs to change overnight and you do not need a completely new schedule! Implement small moments of rest and briefly give them a name. Notice which types of rest work for you and which are actually tiresome.

It is not about looking for mistakes – it is about getting to know yourself better and growing into the best version of you. The version you enjoy and like and that brings you inner peace because you are living in alignment with God’s dream for you.

Live mindfully so that you can discover how you need different kinds of rest at different times. Perhaps, at the end of the year, you need to spend long periods of time with your loved ones. Then, after the holiday celebrations, you need some solitude and some time to do your creative thing.

Take the plunge and properly plan and schedule your different times and activities for rest. Put them in your daily planner and make them your priority. Focus on their benefits should you feel guilty or uncomfortable.

Remember, you can combine different kinds of rest, like knitting while you have coffee with a friend who crochets. Or you can take your children with you on a museum visit or bird watching … The possibilities are endless.

Practice the word “no” to activities that steal your rest – your rest is sacred. And share this healing and holy gift with others by encouraging them to rest. Support them in practical ways to give them opportunities to truly relax and recuperate.