There are 7 different types of rest—this quiz reveals which you need right now

I always smash the “Like” button when a photo of a cushy twinkle-light adorned bedroom ends up in my Instagram feed because like, oh, everyone, I can only dream of getting more rest. Finding an hour to unwind in my (crumb-filled, device-cluttered) bed at night is a privilege, not a right, you know? And if you’re trying to maximize the quality of your rest time since who has the time, you might be interested in this: there are seven different types of rest, and you can find out right now which is best for you.

In her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity,  internal medicine physician Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, addresses the seven types of rest her clients frequently require. As you probably know by now, rest and sleep are not mutually exclusive, so that’s why it splinters off into so many different facets. And if you hate spoilers, heed the next few lines!

Which type of rest do you need right now?

1. 1.
   Physical: Resting to relieve the body of physical stress, such as muscle tension, headaches, and a lack of sleep.
2. 2.
   Mental: Resting to silence your anxious mind and refocus to the things that are important
3. 3.
   Spiritual: Resting to tune into your spiritual beliefs and higher power.
4. 4.
   Emotional: Resting so you’ll be able to express genuine feelings and nix people-pleaser tendencies.
5. 5.
   Social: Resting so you can recognize which relationships are replenishing, and limit exposure to energy vampires and toxic people.
6. 6.
   Sensory: Resting to diminish sensory input received from devices, aromas, and background noise.
7. 7.
   Creative: Resting to allow for beauty to inspire and motivate.

The quiz doesn’t just focus on where one kind of rest, it shows you how you’re scoring on all fronts. And because I can’t resist a good personality quiz, I’m pretty much feeling a lack of rest and need for change in all areas, but Mental and Emotional is where I’m struggling the hardest. Which, oof, sounds right.

A heads up for the faint-hearted: this quiz is going to ask you to dig deep and bear your soul in terms of what’s troubling you and how you cope. Toward the end, it had me especially address the degrees to which I’m feeling sad, which like, high! High degrees always! No sweater weather when confronting those sadness degrees! It’s still interesting, though, to see the areas in your life that could use a little TLC. After all, we know when we’re not feeling great, but the “why” of it is a little out of reach.

So the next time you find a minute to curl up in bed [sigh], feel free to take the quiz here! Because not knowing where you’re struggling at the moment is, TBH, thoroughly exhausting.

Looking to strip down your sleep sanctuary? Here’s how a minimalist bedroom can declutter your whole life. Or if you’re interested in looking at more facets of rest, your enneagram can lead the way at where you’re lacking.