Rest Deprivation Is Real—Here's How To Beat It

Forbes

a day ago

Feeling exhausted despite getting enough sleep? You may be rest-deprived. getty
Most of us equate the word 'rest' with 'sleep.' While sleep is important, no doubt it's only one part of the picture.
Different stressors deplete different systems in your brain and body, says Dr. Anoopinder Singh, a board-certified psychiatrist. 'Sleep may relieve physical fatigue and restore cognitive function, but it doesn't fully resolve emotional exhaustion, decision fatigue, or sensory overload,' he explains.
That's why it's possible to feel tired or sluggish even when you're getting enough sleep. 'One of my clients once said to me, 'I sleep eight hours a night, but I'm still exhausted.' They weren't sleep-deprived, they were rest-deprived,' says Brie Scolaro, NYC-based licensed therapist. 'Once we layered in mental, sensory, and emotional rest with small things like tech-free evenings, mindfulness breaks, and honest conversations, they didn't just feel less tired, they felt more alive,' Scolaro adds.
Rest is about recharging the whole person—not just one aspect of the mind and body—through intentional disengagement from stressors, stimuli, distractions, and demands, says Dr. Mark Kovacs, performance physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
In her book Sacred Rest , internal medicine physician and researcher Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith outlines the seven types of rest we all need to recharge in different ways. Here's the scoop on what they are and how to practice them: Physical Rest
Physical rest includes both active and passive rest. Passive rest involves minimal to no physical activity (e.g., sleeping, lying down, or sitting still). It gives your body time to fully relax and repair itself. Meanwhile, active rest includes gentle movement (like yoga, walking, and stretching) to increase blood flow, release tension, and speed up recovery, explains Dr. Kovacs.
Mental rest is about giving our brains a break from the constant thinking, decision-making, planning, and problem-solving we do every day. It's about stepping out of the 'doing' and into 'being' so you can feel recharged and ready to get back to 'doing' again, says Alyssa Kushner, a licensed therapist specializing in anxiety and relational trauma.
Taking screen-free breaks, practicing mindful breathing, going for gratitude walks, and spending time in nature are all examples of mental rest.
According to Dr. Singh, overlooking mental rest can cause cognitive fatigue, leading to brain fog, poor decision-making, irritability, and increased stress. Sensory Rest
Sensory rest involves limiting the overwhelming sensory input we are constantly exposed to. Think bright screens, flashing lights, loud noises, pinging notifications, and strong scents.
Simple practices like dimming lights, using Focus mode on your phone, reducing background noise, and decluttering your surroundings allow your nervous system to downregulate, preventing sensory overload that can manifest as irritability, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, or feeling "on edge" all the time, explains Brianna Paruolo, a licensed mental health counselor. Creative Rest
Creative rest is about intentionally stepping away from tasks that need focused effort and giving yourself permission to experience beauty, awe, and joy without the pressure to achieve something. 'That might be walking without a destination, reading poetry, going to a museum, free coloring or drawing, or just letting yourself daydream,' says Kushner.
'Creative rest restores our capacity for brainstorming, lateral thinking, and finding inspiration,' says Dr. Singh. Without creative rest, we risk losing our ability to think flexibly, even if we remain 'productive' on paper, he adds. Emotional Rest
Emotional rest helps us restore the energy we spend regulating, supporting, and responding to emotional situations like comforting a friend, dealing with difficult conversations, or processing our own emotional responses.
It includes practices that promote deeper relaxation and emotional balance, such as grounding exercises, mindfulness meditation, journaling, emotional check-ins, and setting boundaries.
Without emotional rest, we become emotionally dysregulated, which can show up as mood swings, impulsiveness, avoidance, having shorter fuses, and emotional fatigue, says Paruolo. Social Rest
Social rest is about doing whatever you need to do to recharge your social batteries. 'It's essential for preventing social burnout that comes from constantly code-switching and managing different social expectations,' Paruolo explains.
It could mean limiting interactions that leave you drained, taking social media breaks, hanging out with people who don't require effort to be with, or spending time alone without the pressure to engage or respond to others. Spiritual Rest
Spiritual rest involves connecting to something greater than ourselves, whether through prayer, meditation, connecting with nature, or community service to find a sense of fulfillment and peace, says Dr. Kovacs. It's whatever helps you understand your place in the world and find meaning in your experiences.
Studies on older adults with chronic illness suggest prioritizing spiritual well-being can increase resilience and act as a buffer against anxiety.
The more intentional you are about incorporating these forms of rest into your routine, the better you recover.