What is your definition of rest?
For most, rest is synonymous with sleep but here’s a fun fact: there are actually seven types of rest needed for the body, mind, and soul to feel truly rejuvenated. If you’ve been wondering why you still feel fatigued after sufficient sleep, then now you know!
But which type of rest have you been neglecting? Read on to find out what type of rest you need:
Creative Rest
What Is It: A creative rest is when you stop chronically brainstorming idea after idea. Instead of pressuring yourself to think of solutions, you’re allowing solutions to naturally arise. A creative rest provides you with time and space to widen your perspective.
Indicators: Feeling uninspired, creative blocks, and / or struggling to switch perspectives.
Solution: Surround yourself with inspiring images (yes, even at your work-desk), visit art galleries, and / or venture into nature.
Emotional Rest
What Is It: An emotional rest is when you stop avoiding your emotions. By understanding why you felt certain emotions, you can learn more about yourself and your triggers. After discovering your triggers, you can handle your emotions without feeling overwhelmed.
Indicators: Easily triggered, prone to crying, and / or struggling to contain emotions.
Solution: Notice your triggers (caffeine, specific situations, specific comments etc.), embark on shadow work, and / or schedule time to emotionally express yourself to a friend or therapist.
Mental Rest
What Is It: A mental rest is when you stop forcing your brain to work overtime. Instead of continuously overloading yourself with information, a mental rest creates time and space for your brain to actually process and store all the information you have been exposed to.
Indicators: Forgetful, trouble concentrating, and / or struggling to sleep.
Solution: Incorporate a meditation practice into your day-to-day (even just for five minutes), schedule short breaks in between work, and / or jot down what you’ve learned / need to do / nagging thoughts etc.
Physical Rest
What Is It: Physical rest can be categorised into active and passive. An active physical rest focuses on improving blood circulation by stretching or massaging the body. A passive physical rest means literally resting by napping or sleeping.
Indicators: Lack of energy, constant yawning, and / or struggling to stay awake.
Solution: If you feel physically sore or stiff then practice yin yoga or even Qi Gong, book a lymphatic drainage massage, an d/ or take cat-naps with an eye-mask (ideally up to 15 minutes).
Sensory Rest
What Is It: A sensory rest is when you intentionally deprive your senses of stimulation. Just like you can become mentally overloaded, you can become sensorially overloaded, too. Some examples of what can cause sensory overload: electronic devices, background noise, bright lights, flashing lights, multiple conversations at once, etc.
Indicators: Eye strain, headaches, and / or struggling to focus.
Solution: Set a timer to remind yourself to close your eyes in between work, lower the brightness of your electronic devices, and / or limit your time with electronic devices (on Instagram especially!).
Social Rest
What Is It: A social rest is when you dedicate time to connect with yourself. Maybe for you, connecting with yourself is equivalent to spending time alone; or maybe it’s through meeting a friend who understands you and can guide you towards clarity. Just ensure that the person you’re meeting makes you feel revived instead of exhausted.
Indicators: Feeling like you need a break from certain friends but not knowing why, feeling drained after socialising, and / or struggling with social anxiety.
Solution: Do something for just yourself, catch up with an old friend, and / or surround yourself with positive people.
Spiritual Rest
What Is It: A spiritual rest is when you allow yourself time and space to feel connected to those around you and the world around you. By experiencing the power of unity, you will be able to uncover what life means to you and what you should do more of in order to feel fulfilled. If a spiritual rest includes religious elements is entirely up to you.
Indicators: Feeling unhappy about your life, feeling disconnected from the world around you, and / or struggling to empathise with others.
Solution: Find a mantra (like: I am connected to my Higher Self) and repeat it daily, volunteer at a local NGO, and / or find your purpose through trial and error.
So which type of rest do you need more of? Whichever you need, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, so keep coming back to this article if you need guidance 🙂
iWell Natural’s sleeping and wellness products were created to put your sleeping problems to bed. Designed with high quality materials, and a personal handcrafted finish, their best-selling eye mask is packed with real lavender to help soothe you to sleep. Daphne Chee, the founder, had discovered that a well-designed eye mask and the relaxing scent of lavender was just what she needed to fall asleep better.
Daphne is a light sleeper, and when she started traveling a lot, it began to affect her health. As someone who was already sensitive to her surroundings, the ever changing environments caused her to suffer from physical and mental exhaustion. Now, with an immense understanding on the importance of sleep, Daphne is on a mission to help others rest and rejuvenate through iWell Natural.
View this post on Instagram
What are your best-sellers?
Our Lavender Eye Mask, Rose Quartz Silk Eye Mask and Silk Pillowcases.
What makes your eye masks special?
We have 2 types of eye masks:
Lavender Eye Mask
- Filled with real Lavender buds to help improve sleep.
- We offer a variety of fabrics to choose from.
Rose Quartz Silk Eye Mask
- Filled with Rose Quartz crystals – the stone of love to help promote self -love, compassion and peace for a deeper sleep.
- Made from mulberry silk.
Each piece is handmade and provides a total blackout to create the darkness you need to tell your brain it’s time for bed.
What are the benefits of silk?
- Silk is similar to human skin cells – it is made up of a natural protein including fibroin and sericin (which is also found in our bodies) that helps support hydration and maintains our skin’s natural moisture level.
- The softness allows our skin to glide gently across it, helping prevent sleep creases and facial wrinkles.
- It is naturally cooling and acts as a regulator to ensure that our body maintains a comfortable temperature during sleep.
- Silk is hypoallergenic and a great alternative for those who suffer from allergies.
- As it is delicate, it reduces hair friction, and keeps our hair smooth and tame, helping prevent split ends, hair breakage, frizzy hair and even hair loss.
View this post on Instagram
You also sell silk hair ties, how damaging are ‘traditional’ hair ties?
Traditional hair ties often tug our hair, causing hair breakage and damage. I have thin and fine hair, so I found that silk hair ties are much more gentle when holding my delicate hair without snagging or breaking.
What self-care advice do you have as a brand that focuses on rest and rejuvenation?
Self-care is more than just putting on a facemask, it is also a reminder to check in on yourself and provide yourself with rest – mental rest, physical rest, creative and sensory rest, as well as spiritual rest. When I start to feel disconnected and anxious, I know it’s time to unplug – I’ll switch off my devices and get back to nature. Here are some more tips:
- Mental rest – Unplug from technology, reduce your busy workload, read a good book, play your favourite music or cook yourself a simple but nourishing meal.
- Physical rest – Getting good and adequate sleep is essential for our well-being. Take a nap if you need to.
- Creative and sensory rest – Taking a break from creative output can actually provide more inspiration. Go for a long walk in nature to get some fresh air, or try journaling.
- Spiritual rest – Realign with your sense of purpose. I personally pray, meditate, embrace selfless acts of kindness, or read literature that grounds me.
With a big focus on community and connection, iWell Natural encourages their customers to support other local brands from F&B businesses and lifestyle products to local talents, such as graphic designers and photographers. “It is important to support homegrown brands to help them sustain in our economy, as well as create more jobs and opportunities for other Malaysians”, says Daphne. Show your support for iWell Natural by shopping their products here and following them on social media!
Sleep hygiene isn’t exactly brushing your teeth or changing your sheets, although those are healthy hygiene practices, the National Sleep Foundation describes it as the habits needed for good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness. So if you spend more time tossing and turning at night, and feeling sleepy during the day, it’s time for some better bedtime habits. Here a few changes you can make to your sleep routine to help you fall asleep on time and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day:
- Start a regular sleep schedule
You should be going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (yes, even on weekends). According to the National Sleep Foundation, one of the most important sleep hygiene practices is to have the right amount of sleep – not too little or too much, recommending a sleep range of 7 to 9 hours for adults. If you still feel like napping, keep it short between 20 to 30 minutes.
- Build a night time routine
This will help your body recognize that it’s time for bed. Try a relaxing skincare regimen (jade roll away your worries), and swap screen time for reading or journaling, and late night exercise for something more soothing, like stretching and meditating. See it as your self-care ritual – a well-deserved way to unwind after a long, busy day, but try not to treat yourself to any heavy meals or caffeine before bed.
- Create a calming sleep environment
The right atmosphere will have you drifting off to dreamland with ease. Start by investing in a good mattress and pillows – these, and a proper sleeping position, will allow you to sleep comfortably throughout the night and wake up without feeling stiff or sore. Set the temperature according to your needs and turn off all the lights (screens included) – if you’re sensitive to the morning light, consider a sleep mask or blackout curtains. You can also add to the ambience by playing white noise and using essential oils in a humidifier – lavender is known to be a natural sleep aid.
