The 7 Types Of Rest We Need For Good Health

Are you hearing a lot about the need for rest but struggling to find the time? I totally understand that frustration of hearing idealistic and unrealistic health goals that most busy women don’t have time to add to their full schedules - like a 24 step morning routine!

Nonetheless, adequate rest is essential to good health physically, mentally and emotionally. It has been an overlooked part of our wellbeing in our busy hustle culture with the pressure to multitask and be ultra-productive. Rest is particularly important for women as our energy patterns are different to men’s and there are periods when we need to rest more such as during our bleed time, in pregnancy and during perimenopause.

Having said that, rest doesn’t always mean finding time to do nothing.

Often we think about resting as getting sleep or lying down, but there are in fact said to be seven types of rest. This quick guide will help you look out for the type of rest you need and give you some practical ideas of how to put it in practice without needing to find extra hours in your week.

Physical Rest

Physical rest helps the body recover from daily wear and tear. It includes passive rest (sleep, naps) and active rest (gentle stretching, massage, restorative movement). This might look like going to bed 30 minutes earlier, enjoying a slow morning without rushing, booking a reflexology session, or taking a gentle walk instead of squeezing in intense exercise.

Mental Rest

Mental rest gives your mind a break from constant thinking, planning, and decision-making. Signs you need it include feeling scattered or forgetful. Practise it by pausing for a minute of deep breathing, writing tomorrow’s to-do list before bed, or setting boundaries around work-related thoughts. Even a short moment of stillness can ease mental clutter - have a 5 minute tea break and stare into the distance.

Emotional Rest

Emotional rest involves giving yourself permission to feel your feelings honestly, without pretending you’re fine. The ups and downs of life at times can bring big emotions, so emotional rest might mean confiding in a trusted friend, journalling your thoughts, saying “no” when you need to, or choosing low-pressure plans that feel supportive rather than draining.

Social Rest

Social rest helps replenish your energy by balancing the relationships that nourish you and those that deplete you. During a busy periods, try prioritising time with the people who make you feel calm and comfortable, with whom you can be yourself fully. Choose smaller, more meaningful gatherings; leave events early if you need to; or enjoy time alone to rebalance after social days.

Sensory Rest

Sensory rest reduces the overwhelm caused by noise, screens, bright lights, and general overstimulation. Over the weekends or whenever your free time is, try switching your phone to silent, stepping outside for fresh air, dimming the lights in the evening, or enjoying a quiet cuppa without multitasking. Small breaks from sensory input can ground your whole nervous system.

Creative Rest

Creative rest refills the part of you that feels inspired, imaginative, or uplifted. It’s especially important if you’ve been problem-solving or constantly creating for others. You can practise this by spending time in nature, appreciating art or music, doing a hobby with no pressure to “be good,” or simply noticing beauty in everyday moments.

Spiritual Rest

Spiritual rest helps you feel connected—to yourself, to others, or to something bigger. This isn’t necessarily religious; it’s about meaning, purpose, and belonging. You might find spiritual rest through meditation, prayer, gratitude practices, volunteering, or taking a moment to reflect on what truly matters to you.

My suggestion is that you check in with yourself over this month and feel for what kind of rest it is you need. It is likely that you will need a combination at any given time and that they will shift from day to day or even from hour to hour. As a long term practise, it can be helpful to keep checking in and notice how things may shift during different phases of your menstrual cycle and in different seasons of the year. If you’d like to know more about managing your energy during your cycles you might like this blog post with an Introduction to Cycle Awareness.

The intention is to notice and try to stop pushing through nor overriding your needs all the time. Take small regular manageable steps like the ones suggested to prevent you reaching overwhelm, burnout or total melt down!

If you would like to incorporate some support for regular rest into your schedule, I offer monthly restorative yoga classes online and reflexology in north London.

You can book online or get in touch with me directly.