On Empty?

“Rest is the most underused, chemical-free, safe, and effective alternative therapy available to us.” — Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Do you feel like your tank is constantly teetering around E? No matter what you do, how much sleep you consistently get at night, how many vacations you plan, or how many mental health days you take from work, you still operate throughout your days utterly exhausted. It’s not just you.

42% of the global workforce reports feeling burnout.

(source: Future Forum)

The answer to our burnout problem, according to Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, is rest, and the right kind of rest. Despite what most of us might think, sleep and rest are not the same thing.

If you are experiencing high levels of burnout, agitation, fatigue, listlessness, or fogginess, you are likely operating with a rest deficit in one (or more) of seven different areas.

This concept is going to radically change the way you think about rest and restoration.

The Seven Types of Rest

No. 1 Physical Rest

Physical rest can be found in two ways—through passive means and active means.

Passive rest is what most of us think about when we hear the word rest: sleep. But, sleep isn’t enough when it comes to our physical tanks. We also need active physical rest through things like yoga, stretching, massage, etc.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL REST DEFICIT:

• Aches and pains
• Muscle spasms
• Falling asleep throughout the day

WAYS TO FIND PHYSICAL REST:

• Create an ideal environment for sleep
• Start or end your day with yoga
• Assess the ergonomics of your workstation

No. 2 Mental Rest

If you strictly equate rest with slowing or stopping your body, you may still be depleting yourself with an active mind constantly in overdrive. Mental rest deficits are becoming increasingly more common as the demand for us to be “on” 24/7 increases and lines between work and home blur.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A MENTAL REST DEFICIT:

• Racing mind that keeps you up at night, despite feeling tired
• Inability to unplug from work or your phone
• Being unable to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time

WAYS TO FIND MENTAL REST:

• Keep a pad of paper by your bed to off-load thoughts
• Schedule short breaks throughout the day to rest your mind
• Empty your mind through a meditation practice

No. 3  Sensory Rest

The average person looks at their phone ninety-six times a day. To say we’re on sensory overload is an understatement. Our senses are overloaded with information at all times.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A SENSORY REST DEFICIT:

• Inability to process information
• Feeling overwhelmed by touch, smells, sights, or sounds
• Headaches and sensitivity to light

WAYS TO FIND SENSORY REST:

• Close your eyes for a few moments throughout your day
• Limit screentime
• Wear noise-canceling headphones or earplugs

No. 4 Creative Rest

Do you recall the last time you felt truly inspired? Creative deficits rob us of our problem-solving skills and keep us trapped in familiar patterns and cycles. Creative rest connects us back to simplicity, inspiration, and awe.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A CREATIVE REST DEFICIT:

• Feeling of listlessness
• Inability to solve problems
• Boredom

WAYS TO FIND CREATIVE REST:

• Go outside
• Update your workspace with things that inspire you
• Schedule time to do nothing

No. 5 Emotional Rest

Emotional exhaustion occurs when our feelings are out of alignment with our capacity to understand or process our experiences or when we care for the needs of others at the expense of our own.

SIGNS YOU HAVE AN EMOTIONAL REST DEFICIT:

• Inability to access or connect with your feelings
• Solving other people’s problems and ignoring your own
• Outsized reactions that don’t fit your experiences

WAYS TO FIND EMOTIONAL REST:

• Find a therapist
• Journal
• Use a feelings wheel to help you name your emotions

No. 6 Social Rest

Despite what many people might believe, introverts can experience a social rest deficit and even extroverts need social rest. It’s found when we spend intentional time with people who add to our tank instead of depleting us.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A SOCIAL REST DEFICIT:

• Feeling burnout or drained by people
• Avoiding social situations
• Irritability

WAYS TO FIND SOCIAL REST:

• Spend time with people that leave you feeling restored, not depleted
• Schedule time for solitude (not isolation!)
• Ask for help

No. 7 Spiritual Rest

At our cores as humans, we are intrinsically connected by our need to belong and contribute to something larger than ourselves. Our belief systems inform how we find that sense of meaning. You can find purpose through faith, community, work, or personal practices.

SIGNS YOU HAVE A SPIRITUAL REST DEFICIT:

• Inability to find purpose in your life and work
• Lack of vision and meaning
• Feeling disconnected from anything outside yourself

WAYS TO FIND SPIRITUAL REST:

• Make a list of places and people that help you feel a sense of belonging and purpose
• Volunteer or serve others
• Connect with a faith community or other spiritual outlet that aligns with your belief system

Every activity we partake in requires our energy. Therefore, finding rest and restoration in the right areas is essential to our well-being. If while reading through this list, you identified more than one area of rest deficit, don’t get discouraged!

Tackling the mountain of rest starts with one small step at a time. Begin by identifying the area you feel the most depleted and strategies and practices to restore yourself where you need it most.

Ready to find true restoration?

Onsite’s Living Centered Program has helped thousands of people overcome burnout and find the rest and peace they crave.

For more articles from our clinical team, descriptions of Onsite’s robust digital and in-person experiences, and powerful stories from Onsite Alum, pick up a copy of our annual Onsite Journal.