Today, I felt called to speak about the seven types of rest that were designed to help us thrive as human beings. Especially when we are seeking emotional healing and striving to find purpose and meaning in life again, rest becomes far more than a luxury – it becomes a necessity. It is through intentional rest that we reconnect with ourselves, rediscover our inner clarity, and create the space to heal from life’s pressures.
We are part of God’s nature, and as such, we are meant to move at God’s pace. God doesn’t rush, doesn’t stress, doesn’t worry – and yet everything unfolds in perfect order. Look at creation: the sky, the oceans, the trees, and yes, even us. Everything is perfect, colourful, and beautifully designed. The seven types of rest align with this divine intention – they help us restore what life’s demands can drain and bring us back into harmony with our truest selves.
Here’s a guide to each type of rest:
✨ Physical Rest
Your body is your temple, and it needs both stillness and movement to function at its best. Physical rest isn’t just sleep – it’s also gentle stretching, deep breathing, a slow walk in nature, or even lying down and letting your muscles completely release tension. Notice how your shoulders soften, how your heartbeat slows, and how each breath fills you with calm. When your body rests, your mind and spirit follow.
✨ Mental Rest
Our minds are constantly active, planning, analysing, and worrying. Mental rest is the pause your thoughts crave. Step away from endless to-do lists, emails, and overthinking. Take short breaks to daydream, meditate, or simply stare out a window and watch the clouds. Give your mind permission to wander and settle naturally – it’s in this quiet that clarity and creativity return.
✨ Emotional Rest
We often carry the weight of others’ expectations and try to hide our true feelings. Emotional rest is allowing yourself to feel fully without judgment. Cry if you need to, laugh freely, express gratitude, or simply acknowledge your emotions. Release the need to perform or please. Being seen as you are – vulnerable, messy, imperfect – is deeply restorative for the soul.
✨ Social Rest
Not all interactions are nourishing. Social rest means being intentional with your energy. Surround yourself with people who uplift, inspire, and support you. Take gentle boundaries with those who drain or exhaust you. Sometimes, stepping into solitude is the most healing social act you can take – it allows your heart to recalibrate and your spirit to breathe.
✨ Sensory Rest
We live in a world of constant stimulation – screens, notifications, noise, and bright lights. Sensory rest is unplugging and simplifying. Dim the lights, silence your devices, or step outside into a quiet place. Notice the subtle colours, textures, and sounds around you. This rest lets your senses recover, restores focus, and deepens your awareness of life’s beauty.
✨ Creative Rest
Even if you don’t think of yourself as “creative,” your imagination thrives on wonder. Creative rest is refilling your inner well – spending time in nature, observing art, listening to music, or simply marveling at the sky. Inspiration often comes when we pause, look closely, and allow awe to awaken within us. It reconnects us to curiosity, joy, and the childlike delight of simply noticing life.
✨ Spiritual Rest
Spiritual rest is the deep, sustaining connection to something greater than yourself – God, nature, the universe, or your life’s purpose. It is found in prayer, meditation, walking in nature, or moments of stillness where you reflect on meaning. This rest restores the soul, aligns your actions with your values, and reminds you that life is not just about doing – it is about being in harmony with the divine flow.
A Part of My Story
The reason I feel this so deeply is because I’m 52 now, and when I look back on my life, I see years lost in the busyness of meaningless things. I lived anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, and depleted. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I never truly looked at myself – not just in the mirror, but beneath the surface, into the depths of my own heart and soul. I was a walking empty vessel: on the outside, I looked fine, maybe even put together – but inside, I was lost, hollow, and disconnected from myself.
I didn’t even remember what it felt like to feel good, to feel whole, like I once had. And the greatest loss in all those busy years? Missing precious moments with my kids – warm hugs, spontaneous giggles, quiet cuddles – moments that could have been joyful memories, now lost to time. I was present in body but absent in heart. I did my best as a mother, yes, but I now see that if I had prioritised my own rest, I could have been more fully present with them and with my own feelings.
I could have had help, but I didn’t. Perhaps running errands, staying busy, was my way of avoiding the frustration and loneliness of a dead relationship. Who knows. What I do know is this: being constantly active, always rushing, always “doing,” is a slow erasure of your human nature. It steals life from you, dims your joy, and drains your soul.
I discovered that resting and disconnecting was deeply healing during my recovery journey. In the quiet moments – away from the noise, the pressure, and the need to keep going – I began to feel pieces of peace return to me. Stillness became sacred. It wasn’t about doing less; it was about being more – more present, more aware, more gentle with myself. Rest taught me that healing doesn’t always happen in motion; most often, it happens in the pause. I found myself.
Rest is not a reward. It is a return – a return to balance, clarity, and wholeness.
Remember what it feels like to slow down. To breathe deeply again. To soften your shoulders and unclench your heart. Life is not meant to be lived in constant hustle and tension – it is meant to be felt, savoured, and breathed in.
When you return to your breath, you return to yourself. ✨
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