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The ‘Spring Forward’ time change hit me hard this year, y’all. REALly Hard. My sleep schedule is off and I’m more tired than I’ve ever been. It made me ponder the idea of rest and sleep. Because the usual sleep schedule is off for a lot of us, right now, it is even more vital that we continue to rest when needed.

Most of us are aware that rest is essential to our overall health and peace of mind. If we’re all honest, we’d admit that it’s difficult to do in such a busy culture. We must remember that God commands us to rest one day out of the week (Sabbath- dawn Friday to dawn Saturday) so it’s obviously His will that we learn how to rest and do it (Exodus 31:15, Jeremiah 17:22).

Sunday, I got a revelation that the only rest that I have to a science is physical. Lounging, taking a nap and going to bed early has never been a problem for me, however, the other six types listed in this graphic from @Shinetext makes me a true work in progress. I’ve also written more details on ways to apply these different types of rest to our everyday lifestyle. It has been very helpful for me (when I actually follow it). When I apply these ways to rest in my life my brain is less foggy, emotions are under control and my energy is adequately restored.

Physical– Rest from physical exertion. Take a nap. Go to bed early.

Mental– Rest from studying, learning, strategizing or overthinking. Take a moment and just live. Pray, take a walk and breathe in fresh air. Take a few deep breaths.

Creative– Rest from brainstorming or designing mentally and physically.

Social– Rest from engaging others in conversation via social media, text/call, or in-person.

Sensory– Rest from texting, emailing, watching screens etc.

Emotional– Rest from holding in emotions. It’s really stressful to hold in emotions but with most of us we have to at times. Find time to cry, scream, throw something (safely) if you need to. Feel ALL your feeling. Write them down. Take them to God in prayer. Whatever helps.

Spiritual– Mindfully being fed instead of doing the feeding. Sometimes we think because we know the word and/or preach/teach, we feel the need to do it all the time. Recognize when it’s time to be fed and don’t analyze or critique. Know when to accept God ministering to you without trying to minister to others. Just eat the good spiritual food so that you’ll be healthy, too.

If you find yourself weary or tired while pursuing your purpose, don’t quit, just learn how to rest. I hope this practical list helps you discover the areas where you could rest a little better and allow God to fill in the gaps for you. As Jesus said, to come to Him, all who are weary and burdened and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28).