7 Types of Rest

Hey you! Wonderful queen. I see you, grinding away, showing up for everyone, doing it with your gorgeous face. You’re a beast!! But, I have to wonder… are you getting enough rest? I’m not talking about JUST 8 hours of sleep a night. Real, true, rest in EVERY sense of the word. Let me tell you, the 7 types of rest are ESPECIALLY important for a businesswoman. While you are working it, we want to make sure you are not losing any of the sparkle that makes you, you along the way!

We’re going to get into the 7 types of rest and 70 real life examples. Then the value of a tribe! How you can BOSS UP! with other women and we can all shine (and fucking crush it) together! What are the 7 types of rest in psychology today? Physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social and spiritual. These are also gone in depth on TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series.

7 Types of Rest: Physical Rest

The most obvious rest type is physical rest. BUT it may include some ideas you don’t normally attribute to physical rest. We’ll get into sleep and what is rest beyond sleep!

1. Sleeping. Aim for 7-9 hours every night.
2. Napping. Hey, there ain’t no shame in the napping game. WebMD explains “A short nap in the mid-afternoon can boost memory, improve job performance, lift your mood, make you more alert, and ease stress.”
3. Lay down. Position yourself on either your back or your belly and be completely still. Focus on letting go of tension in every muscle in your body. Start at your toes and slowly work your way up to your head.
4. Get a massage.
5. Yoga. Restorative physical activity has incredible value and improves circulation!
6. Stretching. If a full yoga routine isn’t something that connects with you, try a relaxing stretching workout.
7. Take a warm bath.
8. Take a warm bath up a notch and visit a float spa. 
9. Go for a hot girl walk. You may be scratching your head, huh? Aren’t we supposed to be RESTING! Yes, but because walking is a gentle movement, it helps your body recover and reduce muscle tension.
10. Set up an ergonomically correct workstation. 

Mental Rest, number 2 on our list of 7 types of rest

Feel like your mind is always racing? The worst is when you feel like your mind is a hamster wheel, going and going and going, but what are you getting out of it? Our best, most creative self, comes out when we are working with a fresh mind!! Here’s our list of what is rest in mental health.

11. Schedule a little break every two hours while working. I use a timer on my phone that plays a gentle chime to remind me to get up for 5 minutes and reset.
12. Keep a notepad and pen by your bed and jot down whatever’s keeping your mind spinning. Once you have it written down, let that shit gooooo.
13. Delegate. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! 
14. Meditation. In my blog Self Care for Photographers, I talk about doing meditation in winter with my dog on my lap. Whatever you do, it does not need to be perfect to be wonderfully beneficial! 
15. Talk to someone in your tribe. By sharing what you are feeling, you are releasing it from being bottled up inside. 
16. Practice gratitude. Write down a list of what you are thankful for and reset your perspective. 
17. Unplug. Stop scrolling and put the phone away. We often find ourselves picking up the phone as a sense of comfort but it actually stimulates the mind further!
18. Listen to music. There’s a reason TTPD has been on repeat for me, it’s (mostly) calming songs are a great background for me to be able to sit with myself.
19. Aromatherapy. Just me on my hippy dippy bullshit again. 
20. Nature walks. Get the fuck outside. Smell the roses, listen to the birds, allow yourself to be part of something bigger than yourself!

Emotional Rest

Oh man, emotional rest can be a toughie!! Especially in the elopement photography business where we are matching all the feels of our adorable couples. After a full day of being PRESENT and ENGAGING and a low key SUPPORT SYSTEM, sometimes I’m fucking EXHUASTED! I love it! But by the end, I am ready to lay down. 

21. Set boundaries. We tell our eloping couples all the time that it’s okay to set boundaries, especially with awkward family convos. You should also be setting boundaries with yourself. Boundaries we set in our successful photography business include an email response that lets everyone know what our expected response time is. By being transparent that we will be responding to emails on certain days of the week, clients know that we aren’t ghosting them and we are reminded that emails don’t need a response within five minutes. Setting boundaries in all areas of your life is one of the most impactful habits IMO. If you are looking for more habits to create a successful photography business we have you covered.
22.  Practice self-compassion. You are a wonderful, talented, badass and you should treat yourself as such. We expect it. 
23. Limit negative influence. Minimize exposure to negative people, environments, or media that drain your emotional energy and contribute to stress!! Do not pass go. Do. Not. Engage.

Other ideas on what is emotional rest.

24. Get creative. Channel your emotions into creative outlets such as writing, painting, or music to express yourself. 
25. Spend time alone. Being by yourself is not a bad thing! Carve out alone time for self-reflection, introspection, and relaxation to emotionally recharge.
26. Engage in physical activity. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands, they just don’t.
27. Seek support. Once again, the importance of a TRIBE!! This is why I created our BOSS UP! group coaching. Having a set of supportive friends you can reach out to provides both emotional support and VALIDATION! We aren’t made to take on everything alone.
28. Have fucking fun. There is no need to be so serious all the time. Work will come and go. Seek out activities that bring joy and laughter into your life, whether it’s watching a comedy, playing games, or spending time with loved ones. Life is meant to be enjoyed.
29. Practice emotional intelligence. Read books and listen to podcasts that cultivate self-awareness and empathy. This will help you to better understand and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
30. Be a good fucking person. Engage in acts of kindness! Performing random acts of kindness or volunteering your time to help others can boost your mood, increase feelings of connection, and create emotional well-being.

Sensory Rest

INTEGRIS Health recognizes that all day long your senses are flooded with stimuli: your email, phone, Slack, computer screen, Zoom call, the scent of your colleagues’ lunches, window glare, someone repeatedly tapping their foot…the list goes on. Even if you’re not consciously paying attention to the sensory input filling your environment, your body and subconscious are. Too much sensory input leads to sensory overload, which is defined by feelings like rage, irritability, agitation and/or anger. You may feel good early in the day, but if you need sensory rest, your agitation will grow as the day progresses. 

So, how do we combat sensory overload on our list of 7 types of rest?

31. Using noise-canceling headphones. Block out all that shit.
32. Dim the lights: Dim the lights down baby, just dim the lights. Ooops wrong vibe. BUT soft lighting does create a calming visual environment, reducing visual stimulation.
33. Girl, pick your shit up. Spending time in a quiet, clutter-free space reduces visual and auditory stimulation.
34. Give a good boy a pet. While you’d think that touching would increase your sensory stimulation, interacting with pets will actually promote relaxation and reduce stress. Give all the pets!!

More ideas for your sensory rest, on our list of 7 types of rest.

35. Practicing progressive muscle relaxation. Once again referring to our friends at WebMD, “Most practitioners recommend tensing and relaxing the muscle groups one at a time in a specific order, generally beginning with the lower extremities and ending with the face, abdomen, and chest. You can practice this technique seated or lying down, and you should try to practice with comfortable clothing on, and in a quiet place free of all distractions.”
36. Eating mindfully. This sounds made up, but it’s a thing! Eating mindfully involves paying attention to the sensory experience of eating, including taste, texture, and smell, providing a sensory experience that promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
37. Spend time in nature. Nature provides a calming and soothing environment. It is filled with gentle sounds, fresh air, and natural scenery.
38. Swim! I grew up as a swimmer and can say first hand how CALMING it can be! To get all science-y the gentle pressure of water against the body and the sensation of buoyancy can all contribute to a sense of relaxation and well-being. 
39. She Shed. Screw a man cave, we are all about a she-shed! While this likely is not an actual shed, having a specific area in your home with comfortable cushions, soft lighting, and even an aromatherapy diffusers will help with your sensory rest. 
40. Breathing exercises. Sit still and focus on your breathing. Strip down all the external stimuli and focus on you, in this moment.

Creative Rest – 7 types of rest

You already KNOW creative rest is my favorite out of the 7 types of rest. In a creative industry like photography, it is SO IMPORTANT to be able to be creative for myself. Some of my best ideas come from a creative activity different from photography! 

41. Painting. 
42. Creative writing.
43. Gardening. I am a BIG gardener. Bringing something literally to life, is fucking cool. Check out my Instagram stories for this year’s tulips!
44. Baking!
45. Crafting. Personally I love creating photo books for my couples. It brings me so much joy to put together their forever keepsake.
46. Photography. Aside from taking photos, I put together a list of ways to stay creative in your photography. IE prisms, double exposure, hopping on trends, etc.
47. Film. Catch me out here with the DROID!! It’s literally so much fun and boosts my creativity.
48. Vision board. I will create vision boards for multiple aspects of my life. I like to create one for myself and what I want to do personally and well as vision boards for my couples. 
49. Graphic design. I don’t mean Instagram graphics. Creating graphic designs that have no purpose other than bringing YOU joy.
50. Dance. Like Merdeith and Christina. It does not have to be pretty, it just has to be YOU!

Social Rest

I find social rest also REALLY important in the elopement photography business as so much time revolves around interacting with people.

51. Edit photos. It’s part of the job, but I also find that this can be a really calming practice. 
52. Harry Potter Marathon. Just you, on the couch, with your dog, maybe a life partner. Just enjoying.
53. Saying “no” when you want to. Sometimes I love a good time out! Sometimes I am just NOT in the mood. When you aren’t feeling it, there’s something in you that’s trying to tell you to slooooowwww down. Say no this time. You can always say FUCK YES! next time.
54. Block your schedule. I, for one, live and die by the calendar. Putting a block on my schedule for ME, is a commitment I am honoring to myself. 

even more social rest ideas!

55. Solo travel! Ahhh, I love this one. I love traveling with my sweet couples and my wonderful husband, but there is also something so special about traveling with yourself! There are no compromises, no commitments, it is just you, doing you, and I think that’s beautiful. Remember to practice conscious tourism for all your traveling! 
56. Quality time. ESPECIALLY if you know this is your love language! Prioritizing quality time with people close to you is very different from socialization. These are the meaningful connections that provide emotional support and refill your cup, not drain it.
57. Reading. I am currently reading The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowle Heller. Yes, the one from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club back in July 2021. It’s been a busy few years! While I read a lot of business books, sometimes a good fiction is just what I need to rest.
58. Pedicure. Very different from the hustle and bustle of a hair salon, I find a lot of tranquility at a nail salon. Sit back quietly while you are pampered.
59. Limit social media engagement. I know what you are saying, “But Kelsey! I use it for work!” Really? Every single time you pick it up it’s work related. Also! Go back to my note about boundaries. Give yourself designated time to schedule out all your posts and only check in a few times a WEEK! You can do it!
60. Go on a picnic. By yourself. Pack yourself a sweet little lunch, bring your favorite blanket (you know my Rumpl goes everywhere), and enjoy time with you!

Spiritual Rest – 7 types of rest

This has everything to do with feeling a deep connection and sense of belonging, purpose and acceptance. WHICH CAN BE HEAVY! We all need to feel like we matter and that what we do during our brief time on the planet will somehow contribute to the greater good.  A spiritually exhausted person may feel that nothing they do is important, or that their job is devoid of meaning. We told you it was heavy!

61. Put it out in the world. Depending on your beliefs, prayer or even talking to the universe, can be a good way to seek guidance and find solace.
62. Go deep within yourself. In a world where you go go GOOOOO, taking a step back to recenter your beliefs and values is important. In my Honeybee Photography business, I have core values and I make sure that those are supported in my decisions. I committed in 2024 to give a portion of my proceeds back to local organizations. What are your values? Can you give examples of what you have done to support those?
63. Reflect. Once again with a fast pace world, sometimes we are running and then forget what we are even running for. Reflecting on your experiences promotes growth and alignment with your spiritual path.

More ideas to practice spiritual rest.

64. Giving back. Giving back and engaging in acts of service, kindness, and compassion helps create a feeling of interconnectedness, purpose, and fulfillment.
65. Creative expression. This can be through art, music, dance, or writing! Channel your inner child and tap into the root of who you are.
66. Dreamwork. Exploring your dreams through journaling, interpretation, or meditation can open up your mind. It has been said that dreamwork allows people to access subconscious wisdom, symbolic messages, and spiritual insights.
67. Attend a retreat. There are a lot of wonderful leaders in the business who put on EPIC retreats. The connection you can make with others and with yourself at a retreat is so powerful.
68. Reiki. Participating in an energy healing practice promotes balance, harmony, and spiritual alignment by clearing energetic blockages and restoring flow. Follow my friend Kerry Anne Walsh, reiki master. She shares about her photography and the impact of Reiki!
69. Be with nature. Yes, I have now included nature a few different times on this list, but that is how IMPACTFUL being in nature is!! While I am lucky enough that my job spends a lot of time hiking in nature, I make sure I get JUST as much time out in nature by myself. 
70. Rest. That’s really the answer to all. Sit back, stop “being productive” as society defines it and truly rest. Rest your soul, your body, your mind, your emotions. Rest your creativity, your senses, and your social battery.

Choose which of the 70 examples resonates with you and the practices of each of the 7 types of rest. This will also help you avoid burnout!

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