Lorraine Smith - August 2022

We are used to receiving the advice, "Get some rest," and if you're anything like me, you'll respond by having a sit down, a nap on the sofa, or even get an early night ... or NOT ... not until you absolutely have to ...

But even those amongst us who are patting ourselves on the back and thinking,

"Yay, I listen to my body, I rest when I need to, I avoid overload!" 

May be surprised to find that in order to be FULLY rested you need to identify - and take - 7 types of rest!

Physical Rest:

This is the one we easily identify and think we know how to address. When we feel the need for a physical recharge, we typically reduce our activity levels and increase our sleep - even if in the form of 'naps' on the sofa or the [previously?] fashionable 'power naps'.  But what if we are too time-poor to put this in place when we most need it, or for the insomniacs amongst us, additional strategies to slow down the physical pace of our bodies could begin by simply taking deep breaths, by  stretching, by finding ways of relaxation which work for us and which we have the capacity to incorporate into our current routine.

Mental Rest:

Relaxing physically is a challenge in itself but without mental rest, the positive effects of relaxation are minimal.  We hear much these days of meditation and its various forms.  

Often these practices are inextricably linked with physical rest and guide us to focus attention to the present and often direct our focus to the breath.

I don't know about you, but as soon as I focus on my breath, I end up holding it or panting like an overheated pup instead of merely 'observing' any previously 'natural' rhythm of breathing !? ... NOT very relaxing!

But do not despair, we can attain mental rest by simply listening to our music of choice or, the reverse, by being silent. [Read on for more about this!]

Sensory Rest:

Silence?!  Do you remember the last time that you experienced that?

It's not posed as a facetious question - if we really reflect, we will realise that we live in a world of constant sensory input - the sounds, the sights of contemporary living, the demands on our attention are never-ending.  As I write this, I'm realising that this must be on my imminent 'to-do list'!

Ask yourself:

When was the last time that you just sat in the silence?

Do you habitually just spend time with yourself -  with no external input?

Do you ever feel overloaded with sights and sounds?        

If so, what do you do about it either 'in the moment' or later?

Most of us are aware of the directive to switch off screens and avoid the stimulation of white light at bed time so that we are better able to sleep, but  when do we ever turn off our screens and our devices during the day?

Can we make it our mission to 'find the quiet' and spend time in it - even an entire minute as a starter - and simply shut down the input to give our sensory processors time to rest?

So far, all these forms of resting take us away from people and stimuli and require a level of inactivity.  Being able to attain physical, mental and sensory rest is definitely helpful, but it is only a part of the whole picture!

Spiritual Rest

This is not as 'woo-woo' as the heading suggests.  This relates to your activity - to the core daily or habitual activities which make up your life.

Spiritual rest is attained when you do things that give you a sense of purpose or meaning.

This can relate to activities at work and in your home life - and ideally should incorporate both.

Logically explained, if you feel aligned with your actions, if you feel that what you are doing is 'right' then this avoids the feeling of dissonance (no clash with thoughts of what you should/should not be doing) and so enables you to be in a restful state.

Creative Rest

Again linked with undertaking solo activity but these may take the form of  hobbies and/or ways that you spend your leisure time.

Typical examples for us all may be reading or walking in nature, though if you have a particular talent, creating music, art, writing, gardening - in fact any solo creative pursuit would come under this category.

Social Rest

This finally focuses on our interaction with others - potentially - but it can mean different things for different people.

Meeting up with a friend - or group of friends for conversation or another shared activity may be 'restful' for many of us if the experience is relaxing aka 'aligned' to our needs.

However, for some of us social rest may involve taking a break from socialising and instead pursuing one of the previous solo activities.

Emotional Rest

And finally, we come to emotional rest!

Though none of these are any more important than the other, I believe that you need to ensure that you have go-to people and sources from which to attain your emotional rest.

Emotional rest relates to off-loading your emotions to a supportive listener.

Being able to talk through our concerns, anxieties, experiences is key to having a restful mind.  

The risk of keeping everything in our heads is that it can become overwhelming which blocks our ability to process and problem solve and can sometimes lead to an issue seeming much 'bigger' when viewed from our internal perspective than it may appear to others 'from the outside'.

Family, friends, colleagues are all sources of support, however at times we may need to access the services of a union, charity, counsellor, therapist or medical professional according to our needs.

In an ideal scenario we will be aware of our social network and habitually access those we need at any given time.

Online Communities

Although not a substitute for  a face-to-face communication with someone who knows you well, we have increasingly realised the effectiveness of online connection and support.

There are many online forums run by charities and organisations which provide email communication, online chat and  online video connection along with the more traditional systems of support of phone and face-to-face meeting.

[See especially Education Support for education professionals]

In launching the TeachAbout Community Network, it is my hope that you wil l find this a safe space in which you can question, contribute and find support / support others in the educational profession.

I aspire to this Community Network being a source of 'emotional rest' for you.

I know that is a source of spiritual rest for me.

It was ever my aspiration to have the ability to connect with multiple education professionals and to provide support, encouragement, information and guidance.

[Article topic informed by visual  by - We Are Teachers on Facebook]