Give Yourself the Gift of Rest

by Dr. Madeline

In college, I majored in biology. I also minored in music, education, and was one class short of a chemistry minor. Needless to say, those were busy years; plus, I commuted from Brooklyn to Queens every day, battled traffic, and allowed a good hour to park my car and even more time to walk from the street to campus. When I look back, one of the things I remember most is the music school’s piano practice rooms. 

Playing the piano in solitude gave me a chance to unwind. I used Rachmaninoff chords to expel all the joys, anger, elation, and frustration that encompassed my exhausting college days. At the time, I thought that by taking the time to play, I was sort of cheating. My practical mind would say, “you really should be studying!” Yet somehow I knew I needed to play. When I read the book Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith M.D., much of how I functioned during those busy days clicked into place. Piano playing was an essential time of my day, then and now; it provides rest and rejuvenation. 

Dalton-Smith divides the rest we need to maintain health into seven different categories: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. Each one is meant to be practiced daily. While you may be very good at one type of rest, upon self-examination, you may find that you are missing out on another. Dalton-Smith argues that if one does not get enough of a certain type of rest, it can negatively affect health. As you read through the seven types of rest below, examine your daily practices. Reflect and address whether you need to add more of a type of rest to enhance the health of your daily life. 

Physical Rest

Sleep is a type of physical rest that is imperative for body systems to function properly. Our body is made of trillions of cells and during waking hours those little cellular factories create waste products. Cellular debris is cleaned up when we sleep in a process called autophagy. When we don’t sleep, the clean-up does not occur and toxins build up, making it much harder to function the next day. 

One of the best ways to help us prepare for physical rest is to give our eyes the signals they require. Tablets, phones, TVs, and other electronic devices stimulate the brain and do not allow for the proper hormones and signals to be released to initiate sleep. The research is clear that blue light is particularly harmful to a good night’s sleep. Blue light blocking glasses and various “dark/night modes” that cell-phone companies market to us with promises of better sleep. But truly, the flashing, changing lights of a video even on “night-mode,” the endless scrolling on a screen, or the constant flashing of ads and notifications all play a role in keeping the brain turned on. Dimming a screen’s light or simply blocking blue light does not cut it for the human brain to reach a state ready for deep rest. To fall deeply and stay asleep, try a warm, non-fluorescent/ non-LED bulb and a good book to quiet down for the night. When you turn out the light, if you are still awake, recite a silent prayer or mantra in your mind, focusing on the repeated words until you peacefully drift off to the land of dreams.

Some people find themselves with restless energy at night. If you consume caffeine after 3pm, stopping this practice may help. In addition, you might try more active forms of physical rest that can help prepare the body for the passive rest of sleep. For example, there are countless “yoga for sleep” practices and poses as well as forms of stretching, qi gong, and self-massage that are all aimed at physically relaxing the body to signal that it is time to sleep.

Mental Rest

After a day packed with activities, it is not uncommon for many people to finally sit down, only to turn on a type of screen or begin scrolling on their phone. However, mental rest requires the quieting of thoughts; the brain must settle. Methods of mental rest like meditation, breathing exercises, petting your pet, prayer, or playing an instrument (where you know the song by heart and can lose yourself in the vibrations of sound you are creating) create a relaxed focus that helps to shut off other sections of your brain. If you don’t play an instrument, try sitting in your favorite place while singing a song that makes you happy. Maybe sing it a few times. Perhaps you can recall one that a loved one sang to you or that you learned in elementary school! 

Sensory Rest

The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Each sense organ contains specialized receptors that hook up to the brain so that it can constantly monitor the environment for you. Reducing any stimulation to these five senses rests the brain. Think about your home and work environment. Can you turn off extra lights, turn down or turn off anything that produces background noise (radio, tv, fans, electronics, WiFi). If you use artificial scents, like air fresheners, candles, or perfumes, consider alternatives like aromatic plants or essential oils which are gentler on olfaction. Finish your final meal and don’t snack at night. A simple herbal, unsweetened tea or cup of golden milk can calm and soothe. As for touch, think about what fabric you wear. Invest in natural fiber linens and pajamas. As you quiet the stimulation to your senses, your brain can calm down and your body will more easily rest. 

Creative Rest

If you are a human, you are a creative being. Students sometimes tell me that they “are not creative.” My response is that they haven’t yet explored the world long enough to discover the many ways they can be creative. Creative rest will vary for each individual, with our unique tastes and talents. One of the best ways to uncover these is to journal. Write what you love, or wish for. Many journals include excellent prompts to help you along. Creative time can also be spent contemplating the natural world around us. Go for a walk without your phone, let your mind wander, and take in all you see, smell, and hear. Creative rest can include making or being grateful for any type of art, including music, painting, sketching, photography, cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc. Allow time for your personal self-expression and you will flourish in it; establish creative rest in your day.

Emotional Rest
Is there a trusted person with whom you are free to be yourself? Someone who will not judge you for expressing unfiltered feelings, and can listen receptively to your questions and perspectives?  If so, this special person gives you emotional rest and a time to release your troubles, joys, fears, anxieties, and hopes. If you are someone whose natural instinct is to be a selfless giver or please others before yourself, emotional rest is paramount. Supportive friends, counseling, and practice in maintaining boundaries can help to establish emotional rest. 

Social Rest
As humans, we need to be around other humans, but taking a break from social interactions for reflection is important too. For those in overstimulating group settings, taking the alone time to recharge gives you much-needed social rest. Many people find that going for a daily run or walk  is the best way to find social rest. 

Another element of social rest is the ability to recognize people in our life who either drain our energy or boost our energy. If you are constantly with energy-drainers, you’ll need more time for yourself to reclaim that energy. It is my hope that you are lucky enough to spend your days with people who fuel your energy and make you feel whole and happy.

Spiritual Rest

Acknowledgment of a greater purpose in life, establishing a sense of belonging in our communities, and knowing that one’s personal life has meaning, all foster spiritual rest in our hearts and minds. Meditation and yoga are forms of spiritual rest for Hindus. Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Resting is the first part of Buddhist meditation.” In the Bible, God’s fourth commandment states, “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work” (Exodus 20:10). Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and prayer; Christians go to church on Sundays for worship; and on Fridays, Muslims gather for Jumma, a sacred time for prayer and community. Feeling a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection to something greater through faith practices gives one spiritual nourishment, rest, and peace.

Many activities can fulfill more than one type of rest at a time. St. Augustine is credited with saying, "To sing is to pray twice." I understand now that my piano playing fulfills at least five of the seven types of rest: mental, spiritual, emotional, creative, and social.  

Rest is complex and encompasses turning off outside stimuli and focusing inward on our body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Dalton-Smith teaches that the seven types of rest are essential for our health. I hope you can let yourself explore how to include them all each day to improve your overall health and well-being!

The Mad Health Doc has a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. She works at a local college where she teaches in the biology department. Check out her writing in The Coop Scoop or the Coop Blog. Have a question or a suggestion for a future topic? MadHealthDoc@gmail.com She is not on social media so you can’t find her, follow her or subscribe to her channel. Instead, she hopes that you take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, smile and go outside. 

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