5-Minute Rest Type Discovery
Time needed: 5 minutes (90-90-120 seconds)
Setting: When feeling depleted but unsure what kind of rest needed
Purpose: Identifying and accessing specific types of rest your system needs
Rest Needs Assessment (90 seconds)
What: Check in with different depletion types:
- Physical: “Is my body tired?” (scan for muscle tension, fatigue)
- Mental: “Is my mind overworked?” (notice mental fog, decision fatigue)
- Sensory: “Am I overstimulated?” (check tolerance for noise/light)
- Emotional: “Have I been caretaking others?” (notice emotional drain)
- Social: “Do I need alone time or energizing company?”
Notice: Which area feels most depleted, what your system is calling for most urgently
Why: Targets rest to actual need, prevents generic rest that doesn’t restore
Targeted Rest Action (90 seconds)
What: Choose one micro-rest based on your assessment:
- Physical: Lie down, feet up wall, or gentle stretching
- Mental: Stop planning, let mind wander, or simple repetitive task
- Sensory: Dim lights, reduce noise, close eyes
- Emotional: Release need to manage others’ feelings
- Social: Brief solitude or quick text to energizing friend
Notice: How targeted rest feels different, what begins to restore
Why: Provides specific restoration rather than generic break
Rest Integration (120 seconds)
What: While resting:
- Let yourself fully receive this type of rest
- Notice any guilt about resting and send it away
- Feel permission to need different types of restoration
- Set gentle boundary around this rest time
- Appreciate your growing rest literacy
Notice: How giving yourself right type of rest affects restoration, where resistance shows up
Why: Builds sustainable rest practices, reduces rest guilt
Closing: Thank yourself for honoring your rest needs
Notice: Which type of rest most restored you
Why: Guides future rest choices
Tips:
- Different days require different rest
- You can need multiple types simultaneously
- Rest needs change throughout day
- Honor what emerges
- Build rest type vocabulary