Have you heard of the seven types of rest? When we think of rest, many of us assume this means sleep. It can feel frustrating to keep trying to ‘rest’ when we’re struggling with sleep.
This is so common when you’re overthinking or stressed. And it’s very important to be aware of the different types of rest to support your recovery from burnout.
As I was doing some research, I came across the seven types of rest. I realised that every one of them can be accessed through hypnotherapy!
I’m going to take you through the seven types and explain what I mean. For more information on this subject, you might want to read ‘Sacred Rest’ by Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith.
Physical Rest with Hypnotherapy
The body needs both action and inaction to function well.
Moving around gets the blood pumping.
Sitting still lets the body digest food more easily.
Restorative physical rest is the one we all think of as real rest – sleep.
But you don’t have to be asleep to rest.
You can choose passive methods like sitting and reading, or lying down and listening to music.
You can take a power nap if you like.
There are also active methods of physical rest, like massages, yoga or stretches.
These give the body restoration from being stuck in one position. Like sitting at a desk, driving a car or being on your feet all day.
Hypnotherapy provides a passive method of physical rest by asking you to sit or lie comfortably, whilst you listen to words.
Mental Rest using Hypnotherapy
The brain also needs moments of action and inaction to function well.
We often feel ‘switched on’ throughout the day – making decisions and following instructions.
Our thoughts can become so overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities we have, that it’s hard to ‘switch off’ at night.
In the 21st century, we seem to have a need to always be busy and ‘doing’, rather than resting.
Yet when you look back through history, the greatest ideas came from moments of rest and playing around with an idea.
The brain needs room to make sense of the world.
Mental rest is difficult for many, because we aren’t trained to be playful and ‘do nothing’. It’s all go or stop.
Examples of mental rest are any where we can encourage the brainwaves to settle down.
Listening to your favourite music.
Doing mindful tasks like crochet or painting.
Any where the mind can be allowed to rest, like meditation or sound baths are good.
Hypnotherapy provides mental rest by asking you to simply allow thoughts to come and go as they please, as you focus your attention on a calm space in your mind.
Sensory Rest in Hypnotherapy
Each day we’re inundated with sensory input.
The noise of traffic and crowds.
The scent of perfume from your colleagues at work.
Bright fluorescent lights or the brightness of your computer or phone screen.
Working in a freezing cold office or a hot and humid one.
Sometimes you might feel like you need to get away to a quiet area to decompress.
And that’s why being at home, snuggled up on the sofa with a soft blanket and a warm drink can make you feel so cosy and comfortable. It’s like a sensory break.
Likewise, you might crave noise if you’re alone a lot. Or you might need the scent of something enjoyable – like freshly cut grass, baked bread or freshly brewed coffee, to wake up your senses.
Hypnotherapy provides sensory rest by asking you to focus on a quiet, calm space. And we can add in your favourite things to help you feel more comfortable. In fact, your senses are what help you to imagine.
Emotional Rest with Hypnotherapy
All of us put on a mask to get through the day.
Whether that be smiling when you don’t feel like it, or being polite to a stranger, when you’re having a tough day.
Emotionally, being inauthentic takes its toll.
But we’re all grown-ups and we don’t want to go through the day upsetting everyone, so we push through.
Some of us are people pleasers and will do everything to help others – even to the detriment of our own health.
Emotional rest means taking a break from wearing that mask.
Actually processing your feelings – being able to be yourself.
To do that, you might want to reflect by journaling your feelings or situations in your life.
You might want to have a good cry.
Or you might need to bring laughter into your day!
Hypnotherapy provides emotional rest by allowing you to be yourself and process your feelings in a private space, away from everyone else.
Social Rest and Hypnotherapy
The way we interact with others is quite unique.
You might be extroverted and want to be around people all the time.
You could be an introvert that prefers alone time.
In fact, many people I see have social anxiety and prefer to avoid crowds.
And they’re not all introverts. They’ve just reached a place where socialising feels difficult because they’re dealing with some difficult emotions. So it’s harder to wear that mask.
But even extroverted people need time alone to step away from social circles and evaluate their relationships.
You may have heard of the saying ‘you can’t see the wood for the trees’. This means you may be too close to the situation to see it clearly. You might be surrounding yourself with the very people that you need a break from.
Hypnotherapy provides social rest by giving you space to explore your current lifestyle. Assess what needs to change. This happens on a deep level, giving you insight into the patterns and behaviours that could be repeating in your life. For those with social anxiety, hypnotherapy gives you the courage to step outside your comfort zone and try new things.
Creative Rest in Hypnotherapy
Many people think they’re not creative.
You’re human – being creative is part of who you are!
Creativity comes in all forms – it’s not just painting and art.
It’s problem solving.
Idea generating.
Daydreaming and imagining.
It’s appreciating the beauty in something without needing to change it.
You can have creative rest by being out in nature.
Noticing the light filtering down through the leaves of a tree.
Hearing birdsong or seeing all the tiny coloured pebbles in a stream.
Choosing to add colour to your surroundings gives creative rest. Imagine how boring life would be if you worked in a grey office with no windows, then went home to a grey house with no colour or beauty.
Sometimes creative rest means adding variety to your life – walking a different way to work or buying a plant for your desk. It can really ignite your inspiration to try new things!
Hypnotherapy provides creative rest by allowing you to play with your imagination to help you solve your problems on a deeper level.
Spiritual Rest during Hypnotherapy
This doesn’t have to be religious, but it can be.
Spiritual rest means looking outside yourself to find a deeper sense of belonging or purpose.
This could be by volunteering your time to help others.
Spending time in prayer or meditating.
It could be that you find spiritual rest by being in nature.
Or with like minded people who want to have those deep conversations about the planet and the universe.
You could read books on the beliefs that have existed around the world for millennia.
The cultures of different nationalities and where they stem from.
Opening your mind to walk in the shoes of others can enrich your life.
A great place to start is to find a book that is written by an author from another country, or set in another country.
I recommend ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ by Christy Lefteri or books by Victoria Hislop set in many different European countries.
Hypnotherapy provides spiritual rest by giving you time in a meditative state to let go of limiting beliefs and become open to change.
If you’re interested in trying hypnotherapy, I do provide a one off introductory session. I explain how the mind works with regards to your situation, and you get a hypnotherapy session with an audio to keep. This can be online or in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. Book a call below and let’s chat.