Many of us, especially the younger generation, tend to hustle. Work. Work. Work. Aim for that promotion and more earnings. It is not bad at all to work hard. In fact, it is a good thing. But there are many people out there who chase their dreams and ambitions, so much so that they forget to give themselves enough time to rest. What would you do with your high-ranking position and money in the bank if you have all kinds of health conditions and you are anxious or stressed out all the time? Your life will be miserable.

Lacking sleep for a prolonged period of time can bring in lots of issues. Talk about increased stress, weight gain, anxiety, and insomnia, just to mention a few. And when we say ‘rest’, we do not simply mean getting an 8-hour sleep.

What you need is restorative rest, which is not only limited to physical benefits but also mental, emotional, social, and spiritual gains. Take a look at these strategies:

Physical Rest

Physical rest is very important. You need to give your body enough time to recuperate so that it can function at optimal levels. Ideally, you should sleep for 6 to 8 hours every night. It could also be longer, depending on how you feel. If you are an athlete or perhaps a bodybuilder, and you have just undergone rigorous training, you probably need more time to sleep.

The bottom line is, you should establish the number of hours for your sleep and try to play around it a little bit.

Mental Rest

Multitasking. This is something that we are taught to do so we can accomplish things fast enough. Sure, it is a great skill, but it can be very exhausting, too. If your mind is constantly jumping from one thought to another, the time will come when you just can’t think anymore. This is when you know that you are mentally exhausted.

So to get mental rest, focus on one thing. Try to reduce excess sensory input, and spot small opportunities to rest your mind.

Sensory Rest

A lot of us use computers to work, not to mention smartphones. Do you have any idea how much screen time you spend every day? This is another thing that you need to rest from. Aside from screen time, talking to other people as well as background noises can also result in sensory overload.

Try to reduce your screen time. When you go to bed, turn your phone off so that you won’t get tempted to get on it and check your emails or perhaps get on your social media accounts. If nobody is watching, turn the TV off. If you like listening to music, keep the volume down.

Creative Rest

Trying to solve problems or find solutions? You will be able to do so if you get some creative rest. This does not necessarily mean that you have to force yourself to become an artist. As simple as appreciating the beauty of your garden, mountains, or ocean is a good way to get creative rest. If you do this, your creativity will be awakened. You will be more inspired, and you can think better.

Emotional Rest

Dwelling on toxic emotions can definitely drain you out. It can lead to chronic depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental problems. So, yes, mental rest is another thing that you should try to get. How? Talk to a family or trusted friend. You also have the option to talk to a therapist if you want to. This allows you to express how you are feeling, and that will surely relieve you.

Social Rest

Socialization is important. But when we say social rest, try to hang out with people who do not need anything from you. Otherwise, they will only be pulling away from your social energy. Those people who don’t put demands on you can actually give you the social rest that you need.

Spiritual Rest

When you feel accepted or you belong to something, that is considered spiritual rest. It could be something related to religion as well. As simple as hearing the mass can give you spiritual rest. You can also join community activities like reach out programs. The feeling of being able to help other people is priceless.

Following the above-mentioned strategies for restorative rest, you would feel much better as an individual. If you feel good and well-rested in all aspects, you can be more productive and happy. That right there is the true essence of restorative rest.