Tired but Can’t Recharge? The 7 Types of Rest Your Body Actually Needs

Your body whispers before it shouts. And when we ignore it, the cost shows up as burnout, grief flare-ups, and a nervous system stuck on high alert.

In this episode, I open up about pushing past my limits at a social event, how it reopened the imprint of a medical crisis with someone I love, and what it taught me about capacity: it isn’t weakness, it’s bandwidth. From that honest starting point, we unpack a clearer blueprint for restoration that goes far beyond sleep.

I walk you through the seven types of rest—physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual—and share simple, practical ways to diagnose what you’re truly missing. You’ll hear:

• how active recovery like stretching can be more replenishing than another hour on the couch
• why a five-minute break in a dim room can soothe sensory overload
• how creative rest isn’t producing but receiving beauty and awe
• what emotional rest looks like through truth-telling and safe tears
• how social rest comes through smarter boundaries and nourishing relationships
• and how spiritual rest can be found in meaning, nature, ritual, prayer, and service that fills you instead of empties you

There’s also a guided micro-practice to help you locate your exact deficit and choose one small step to restore it. The goal isn’t adding more to your plate—it’s choosing the right kind of rest so your energy refills instead of leaking.

✨  download your free ebook The 7 Types of Rest.

Chapters

• 0:02 Ignoring the Body’s Whispers
• 0:16 Trauma Memory And Capacity
• 1:15 Redefining Rest Beyond Sleep
• 2:37 The Seven Types Of Rest
• 8:40 Guided Full-Body Rest Practice
• 10:22 Recap, Resources, And Invitation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

You ever have that inner voice whisper, don't go? But you override it anyway, and then bam, you're hit with the experience you were trying to avoid thinking I should have listened to myself. Truth bomb, that happened to me this weekend. I didn't have the social capacity to be in a room full of so many dynamics, but I pushed myself anyway. See, I already knew in my body that I was carrying the grief of Natalie. And last year, when I attended this same very event, the next day, Natalie ended up in the hospital, convulsing in my arms, coming close to death. And that experience shifted me. It was traumatic to witness what her body went through, and it left a significant imprint in my body. It also gave me a deep reverence of respect for hospital staff who live through this intensity daily, who watch people's bodies at the edge of life and still keep serving, still keep showing up. So this weekend, when I ignored the cues of my body and pushed myself to attend, it was no wonder I felt tired. My system wasn't just navigating social exhaustion. It was carrying the memory of grief. One person came up to me and truly asked me what was going on. And in that moment, I broke open. Tears came, and the deep pain I'd been holding finally had room to move. I'm only now making sense of what I experienced a year ago and the profound effect it continues to have on me. And it reminds me of this. Your body whispers before it shouts. When you ignore the whispers, it will find a way to speak louder. And thankfully, the next day the sun was shining, I could step outside, breathe, and let nature hold me. You see, being outdoor re-energizes me in the way I actually needed, reminds me that rest is not always stillness. It's finding what restores your body in spirit. And this is where we get it wrong about rest. We think rest is just sleep. We think it's lying on the couch, zoning out, going through our social media or Netflix. And don't get me wrong, sometimes we need to binge and do that. But true rest is something deeper. It's about giving back to the places in us that have been overdrawn. And sometimes real rest takes action. I know you're like, what are you talking about? Just stay with me. You're listening to the Lift One Self podcast, and I'm your host, Nat Nat. And if this is your first time, welcome home. And for the ones that are still always coming back, thank you for your support and being a part of this community. See, here we talk about emotional sobriety, nervous system wisdom, and the raw truths of being human. As much as I know, I'm still learning to listen to my nervous system and honor my capacity. Capacity doesn't mean you're weak, it means your bandwidth has a threshold for being your best. And that threshold shifts throughout the day. The truth is, many of us don't even stop to understand our capacity or ask if we're actually rested. And I'm not talking about sleep because rest isn't only sleep. There are seven types of rest. I know you're probably thinking, seven? That sounds ridiculous. Just stay with me because once you hear this, you might finally understand why sleep alone doesn't cut it for you, and discover the real remedy your body has been asking for. So the seven types of rest. One is physical rest, where all of us know about it. What many of us do is push through long days, run on coffee, collapse on the couch thinking it's enough. What we actually need, yes, sleep, yet also active rest, stretching after sitting all day, gentle yoga, movement, warm baths, or a nap that doesn't feel like weakness. Number two is mental rest. What many of us do keep the mind spinning with to-do lists, replaying conversations, overthinking, multitasking, endless scrolling. What we actually need are short breaks to let the brain breathe, journaling, three slow breaths between tasks, or simply five minutes of silence. Number three, sensory rest. What many of us do are constant noise, screens, bright lights, and nonstop notifications. What we actually need are relief from over stimulation, turning off your phone, step into a dim room, close your eyes, or sit in silence for a few minutes. Number four is creative rest. What many of us do, push ourselves to keep producing ideas, solutions, content until we're drained. What we actually need, refuel by receiving beauty and wonder, watching a sunset or sunrise, sitting under a tree, listening to music, like really, really listening to the instruments and the lyrics and the tone, or visit an art space. See that creativity fuels our curiosity, and the two are part of what energizes us. So number five now is emotional rest. What many of us do is wear the mask, pretend we're fine, people plazing, swallowing feelings. I did some of that this weekend where I was like, I'm well, which is true. Yet people could see physically that I was depleted and tired. And I didn't play the high vibe and high energy, which made some people uncomfortable. They were like, you know what, just take a drink. And I'm thankful that I've learned that I no longer have to go that route. I can feel whatever I'm feeling in that moment, even if it makes other people uncomfortable. Yet many of us put on the mask and just high vibe. What we actually need is space where you can tell the truth, crying when it rises, speaking honestly with someone safe, being authentic without filtering, which is really difficult for the many of us, especially when we're in social gatherings that are enwrapped in a cultural definition. Number six is social rest. What many of us do is fill our schedules with obligations, say yes too often, stay in draining relationships. Who's with me with this? I know I have been there and I'm working at listening what my capacity is. What we actually need balance, more time with people who nourish you, less with those who deplete you, sometimes solitude, sometimes soul-filled connection. So number seven now is the one, the biggest one I think also is spiritual rest. What many of us do is drift through life disconnected from meaning, belonging, or purpose. And when we are disconnected from that, we can really feel depleted because we're like, what's the point? What we actually need, anchor into something larger, prayer, meditation, ritual, time in nature, or serving a cause greater than yourself, yet also ensuring that your cup is staying full. See, rest isn't always lying down or zoning out. Sometimes rest asks for action. Setting a boundary is emotional rest. Saying no is social rest. Watching the sunset is creative rest. When you give yourself the right kind of rest, you stop patching over exhaustion and start truly restoring the parts of you that are most depleted. So pause with me for a moment. See, these mindful moments I guide you in, they fall under all of these pillars of rest in some way. Let's take a full rest together. If it feels safe, gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Ask yourself, where am I most depleted? Is it in my body, my mind, my senses, my emotions, my creativity, my social world, or my spirit? Maybe it's a combination of a few. Notice what whispers back. That's where you start. Now take a deep breath in and gently exhale, allowing that answer to reveal more of what you need. Inhale, opening up space in the body. Exhale, letting it all go. Take a few more cycles of breathing here, letting yourself just be in rest. Now take one big inhale and exhale out through your mouth, letting it all go. When you're ready, at your own time and pace, gently open your eyes and stay with your breath. Exhaustion isn't weakness, it's communication. Those seven rests again are physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. Don't worry, I've included them in the show notes for you. And for those that want to dive even more deeper into this, I've created an ebook that you can find on my website. The link is in the show notes. Go click your free copy. The more fluent you become in those seven languages of rest, the more you'll find real renewal, not just escape. Begin to listen to what your body needs to maximize your energy, keeping your cup full. And just like I found today with the sun on my skin and nature holding me, rest is always waiting to restore you in the exact way you need it most. Begin to honor your body and the needs it's asking you to meet. Thank you for being here with today. If this conversation gave you clarity or maybe some aha moments, share it. And if there was somebody that popped in your mind, share it with them directly. Also leave a comment. It helps others discover the medicine of emotional sobriety. Find more of my work at liftoneself.com and go to the inner work section to download your free gift. And remember, you are worthy of deep rest in every form it takes. Remember to be kind to yourself.