Rest is not the opposite of productivity. It fuels it! It’s one of the ways to get more productive!
But resting isn’t just taking a nap. In her viral TED talk, Sandra Dalton Smith identifies seven different kinds of rest. And if you can match up the kind of rest you need with the energy you’ve just expended, you are going to come out of it much more replenished.
1. Physical Rest
Resting after using your body in a certain way. That could mean lying down or sitting, but if you’ve been sitting for long, it could mean stretching or going for a walk.
2. Mental Rest
Resting after using your brain. This can be extra challenging for ADHD brains to do, but this time allows us to process the information we’ve taken in. What allows you a break from thinking? Listening to soothing music? A guided meditation? Taking a walk?
3. Emotional Rest
ADHDers often feel things “louder”. Emotions can feel “bigger”. How can you take a break from taxing emotions? Talking to a friend? Journaling? Expressing your emotions creatively with art, music, or movement? Like mental rest, emotional rest lets us process our emotions.
4. Social Rest
Social interaction can contribute to many positive emotions, but sometimes, especially if you are someone who masks your ADHD, after being around certain people, you feel drained. Taking alone time can replenish that energy. So can spending time with family or friends who you feel comfortable being yourself with.
5. Sensory Rest
With our less than perfect filtering system, ADHDers often suffer from sensory overstimulation. How can you soothe your senses? Turn off your phone or TV? Dim the lights? Play quiet music? Diffuse a good smell. Close your eyes? Breathe deeply?
6. Creative Rest
If you are someone who spends a lot of your time using your creativity, you’ve probably experienced a dry spell. Taking a rest from your creative pursuits, especially if they are related to work, will replenish your creative energy. Green space is known to enhance creativity, so get out into some nature. So does physical movement. Sometimes a different creative pursuit can raise your creative energy. How can you give your mind time to explore new ideas? Reading? Travel?
7. Spiritual Rest
Spiritual pursuits can be anything that gives meaning to your life, like belonging to something bigger than yourself. This sense of meaning is a deep and effective way for you to replenish low-energy stores. Whether this means praying, meditating, walking in nature, or volunteering for a cause you care about; something that adds to your sense of purpose in the world can be considered spiritual rest.
Of course sometimes we need more of these pursuits rather than rest from them. When you are feeling “"low"—not so much depressed or sad, but more like “unmotivated” or "inert," you may not be getting enough of one of these energy-filling buckets. Engaging more with them will get your needs met and you will feel better.
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