Key Takeaways

• Rest is more than just getting eight hours of sleep—it's about knowing when your mind, emotions, creative energy, or social battery are tapped out and giving them a break.

• Sometimes you need a nap, but other times you may need to take a walk in nature, have a heart-to-heart with a friend, or simply unplug for a while. 

• When we get the right types of rest, we’re much healthier and happier as people.

Are you tired of being tired? We’ve all had those days where we swear we’ll catch up on our rest, only to wake up the next morning still feeling exhausted.

“In today’s world, many of us still feel tired even after getting adequate sleep because the demands we face in our daily lives leave us feeling overwhelmed and depleted,” says Alexa Davis, MD, a physician at Medical Transformation Center.

Although sleep is important, true rest is more than just a good night's slumber. According to Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, an internal medicine physician, there are actually seven different types of rest we need in order to feel recharged and refreshed.

Dr. Dalton-Smith’s theory states that apart from physical rest, we also need mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual rest.

In this article, we explore the seven different types of rest, and share some tips to help you make sure you’re getting enough of each of them.

Why Rest Is More Than Just Sleep

While most people use the terms "sleep" and "rest" interchangeably, they are actually two very different concepts. Sleep is an essential, unconscious state where the body and brain actively work to repair, restore, and process information. It's a critical component of rest, but it's not the only one.1

The reason we might feel exhausted even after a full night's sleep is because our fatigue might not be only physical. Mental, emotional, and lifestyle-related stressors can drain our energy levels just like staying up too late can, Dr. Davis explains. For example, research shows us that mental fatigue can be as harmful to our health and safety as physical fatigue.

Ensuring we have enough of each type of rest allows us to avoid feeling like we are running on empty and, instead, live our lives to the fullest.

— ALEXA DAVIS, MD

“All aspects of human life need rest. Our eyes, ears, brain, gastrointestinal system, nervous system, muscles, and even our cells need some time off to repair and rebuild,” says Michelle Loy, MD, an integrative health practitioner at New York-Presbyterian.

Balancing all the types of rest can help reduce stress levels and dramatically enhance overall health, Dr. Davis adds.

The 7 Types of Rest (and How to Get More of Each)

These are the seven types of rest, as outlined by Dr. Dalton-Smith.

Physical Rest

Physical rest is the type we’re most familiar with, and it comes in two forms:

• Passive rest is what we usually think of—sleeping or taking a nap.

• Active rest, on the other hand, includes restorative activities like stretching, massage, or gentle yoga that help release muscle tension and improve circulation.

Signs you're not getting enough physical rest include:

• You feel exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep.

• Your muscles are sore or tense.

• You experience aches and pains.

• You are more susceptible to illness.

• You feel like you can’t get through the day without sugar or caffeine.

How to Recharge Physically

• Make it a point to get seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.

• Take short power naps (20 to 30 minutes) during the day if you feel tired.

• Stretch or do gentle yoga to release stress, especially if you sit a lot during the day.

• Get a massage or use a foam roller to release muscle tension.

• Take a warm bath with Epsom salts.

• See your healthcare provider if things don’t improve. Certain health conditions, such as sleep disorders, can affect your ability to sleep well and feel rested.

Mental Rest

This type of rest is about quieting your mind and taking a break from constant thinking, planning, and analyzing.

Signs you’re not getting enough mental rest include:

• You struggle to focus.

• Your brain feels foggy or overloaded.

• You find yourself forgetting things or making simple mistakes.

• Your thoughts are constantly racing, especially when you're trying to fall asleep.

• You feel overwhelmed at the thought of doing anything, regardless of how big or small the task may be.

• You often feel anxious or irritable.

How to Recharge Mentally

• Take short breaks throughout your workday to give your mind some rest.

• Write down to-dos instead of holding them in your head.

• Perform a simple, mindless task, such as folding laundry or washing the dishes, to give your brain a break.

• Reduce the number of open tabs on your computer and the number of tasks on your to-do list.

• Try meditation or mindfulness exercises.

• Take a walk or spend some time outdoors.

Emotional Rest

This is the rest you get when you have the freedom to be your authentic self and express your true feelings. It's about letting go of the need to people-please and the pressure to always project a positive image.

Signs you’re not getting enough emotional rest include:

• You feel the need to hide your true feelings and wear a mask around other people.

• You feel compelled to say "yes" to others even when you want to say "no."

• You’re emotionally exhausted from caretaking or people-pleasing.

• You say "I'm fine" when asked how you are, even when you're not.

• You feel like you're always carrying a heavy emotional burden.

How to Recharge Emotionally

• Spend time with people with whom you can be your authentic self.

• Write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal to reconnect with your true self.

• Set healthy boundaries and say “no” when needed.

• See a mental healthcare professional, such as a therapist or counselor.

Social Rest

Social rest is about prioritizing relationships that energize and uplift you, while spending less time among people or situations that drain your energy.

Signs you’re not getting enough social rest include:

• You feel the need to constantly be "on" around others.

• You spend more time with people who take than those who give.

• You feel lonely even when you’re surrounded by people.

• Social gatherings leave you feeling depleted.

• You find yourself avoiding social situations.

How to Recharge Your Social Battery

• Limit time with people who drain your energy.

• Spend time with people who are positive, supportive, and bring out the best in you.

• Allow yourself some alone time to relax and recharge your social battery.

• Make time for one-on-one connections that feel meaningful.

• Say "no" to social commitments that don't align with your energy levels.

Sensory Rest

Between traffic, bright lights, glowing screens, and endless notifications, it’s no wonder our senses get overloaded. Sensory rest is about hitting the pause button and giving your nervous system a little break.

Signs you’re not getting enough sensory rest include:

• You feel overwhelmed by too much light or noise.

• Too much screen time leaves you drained.

• You experience headaches or eye soreness after using a screen.

• You are always using one screen or another, sometimes at the same time.

• You feel irritated or impatient often.

• You crave peace and quiet.

How to Relax Your Senses

• Minimize notifications across your devices.

• Turn off your phone and other electronic devices for a little while.

• Sit by yourself in a quiet, dimly lit room. Close your eyes for a few minutes.

• Listen to calming music, if you like.

• Meditate.

• Go outside for fresh air and natural light.

Creative Rest

Creative rest is about rediscovering your imagination and sense of wonder.

Signs you’re not getting enough creative rest include:

• You feel uninspired or “stuck in a rut.”

• Your ideas feel tired and stale.

• Work feels monotonous and boring.

• You struggle to think outside the box.

• You lack a sense of joy or wonder in your life.

How to Recharge Your Creative Battery

• Spend time in nature and notice how beautiful it is.

• Engage with art that you enjoy—visit an art gallery, listen to music, or enjoy inspiring content.

• Try a creative hobby just for fun, like painting or coloring—you don’t have to be good at it.

• Take a break from a creative project and come back to it with fresh eyes.

• Change your routine or environment.

• Give yourself unstructured time to daydream.

Spiritual Rest

This type of rest is about the ability to connect to something bigger than yourself, whether through faith, identity, or community. It often brings a deep sense of belonging, purpose, and acceptance.

Signs you’re not getting enough spiritual fulfilment include:

• You feel disconnected or like life lacks meaning.

• You question your purpose or direction.

• You feel isolated from a greater sense of belonging.

• You feel that your life is only about your job or daily responsibilities.

• You feel a sense of emptiness or cynicism.

How to Recharge Spiritually

• Engage in a spiritual practice, such as prayer or meditation.

• Volunteer for a cause that’s important to you.

• Connect with a community that shares your values.

• Express your gratitude for the things you're thankful for.

• Reflect on your values and align your actions with them.

How to Tell Which Type of Rest You’re Missing

Pinpointing the exact type of rest you're missing can be tricky, as the symptoms of each can sometimes overlap. However, you can identify the root cause by paying close attention to the specific ways you feel drained or burned out.

The experts suggest some strategies that can help:

• Check in with yourself: “Often we get caught up in our daily responsibilities, so it is important to take inventory of how we are feeling,” says Dr. Davis. Check in with yourself and ask yourself how you’re doing, mentally, physically, emotionally, creatively, spiritually, and otherwise.

• Pay attention to how you spend your time: It can be helpful to write down your activities for a week and then see what sticks out to you as needing more balance, says Dr. Carollo. Once you start observing patterns in your habits, you will be able to pinpoint problem areas.

• Work on self-awareness: Being more self-aware and identifying any areas of weakness is the first step, says Dr. Loy. “Oftentimes we discover that the areas we most stand to benefit from are the areas that we actively avoid.”

• Book a wellness visit: Wellness screens can help us identify areas we want to work on in relation to emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, financial, physical, and occupational health, says Dr. Loy.

• See a healthcare provider: It may be helpful to see a healthcare provider to diagnose any deficiencies or underlying health problems that may be contributing to your fatigue.

Switching from one type of activity to another can be a form of rest. 

For example, after using significant mental energy to sit down, focus, and complete our work, we might "rest" by engaging in some form of physical activity or exercise, says Michael Carollo, PsyD, a psychologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Or after a long social engagement we might sit quietly and read a book, Dr. Carollo adds. 

“The key is finding your own personal tolerance level for various activities and balancing them out with a form of ‘rest’ that counters that type of fatigue,” he explains.