How to Rest in a Culture That Never Stops

Today, let’s discuss how to rest in a culture that never stops.

If you’ve ever collapsed at the end of a long day wondering why you’re so tired when you barely did anything, you’re not alone. We’re living in a rest deficit and the irony is, most of us don’t even know what true rest actually looks like.

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What Is Rest?

Definition taken from the Googs: Rest is a state of inactivity, relaxation, or repose, allowing the body and mind to recover and recharge. Let’s go with that. 

Rest isn’t just about getting enough sleep (though that’s certainly part of it). It’s about recognizing the different types of rest our body, mind, and spirit crave and responding with intention. 

It’s common knowledge that rest improves overall health, boosts cognitive function, and resets our energy levels. But what we often forget is that rest is a basic human need, not a luxury.

Rest is tied into our overall wellness. Not just so we can get more done the next day, but so we can live fully in our mind, body, and soul.

You don’t have to schedule a sabbatical to rest well. You just need to integrate a regular rhythm of rest into your daily schedule. 

Start small: a short walk, 5 minutes of stillness, or simply spending time with someone who gets you.

Understanding 7 Types of Rest

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith (whose research I highly recommend checking out) outlines seven key forms of rest. Each meets a different need and brings its own benefits of rest. Here’s how to integrate them into your daily routine without adding more to your plate.

1. Physical

This one’s the most obvious and most overlooked. We need both passive rest (like sleep) and active rest (like deep breathing exercises, slow breaths, stretching, or a short walk). Quality rest improves physical health, sleep quality, and even supports your circadian rhythm, your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

Try this: Take a minute break between tasks to close your eyes and stretch. Over time, short periods of physical rest can make a big difference.

2. Mental

Ever lay awake with your brain racing through important tasks, random thoughts, and tomorrow’s dinner plans? That’s mental fatigue, and it needs intentional rest.

Try this: Schedule short breaks during your workday to step away from electronic devices. Jot down looping thoughts so your brain can let them go.

3. Sensory

Bright lights, background noise, endless screen time, and even sensory-rich activities can lead to sensory overload. Sensory rest means dialing it all down.

Try this: Spend free time in a natural setting or dimly lit room without music or devices. Even barefoot walks outside (yes, bare feet) help reset your senses.

4. Emotional

Feeling like you have to keep it all together? Emotional rest allows you to be fully honest yourself without pressure. It’s about expressing, not suppressing.

Try this: Talk to supportive people, the kind who won’t expect you to perform. Journaling, counseling, or crying in the car to a sad song all count here as well.

5. Social

Not all social networks are nourishing. Some drain you, others fill your cup. Social rest means spending time with those who don’t require extra effort or taking space from those who do.

Try this: Choose leisure time with people who feel safe. Or give yourself permission to take a break from group texts, meetups, and that phone call.

6. Creative

You don’t have to be an artist to need this one. When your brain’s been solving problems or generating new ideas, it needs to refill its creative tank.

Try this: Engage in enjoyable pursuits that delight your senses or give you new insights like a good book, nature walk, or listening to music. The point isn’t output. It’s wonder.

7. Spiritual

This one is deeply personal and really should be number 1. It’s about connecting to something larger than yourself. A spiritual life brings meaning, stillness, and perspective when things feel chaotic.

Try this: Begin your day with Scripture reading, prayer, or a contemplative practice. Find natural environments to sit in silence and remember you are part of something bigger.

From a Biblical Perspective: A Sacred Invitation

Before rest was ever a wellness trend or a productivity hack, it was a divine design.

In Genesis, God created for six days and then rested. Not because He was tired, but to model something vital for us: a regular rhythm of rest. The day of rest, or Sabbath, was God’s idea long before we had planners and burnout.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28

​This is a spiritual invitation to experience restorative rest by letting God carry what’s too heavy for us. Rest is not about what we’re escaping from, it’s about who we’re returning to.

Spiritual rest is about reconnecting to the One who holds you. It’s spending time in the Word, worship, silence, or contemplative practices that bring your heart back to center. And it doesn’t require long periods of time, sometimes the most effective rest is a few slow, prayerful breaths in a quiet place.

Think of Sabbath as free time with God. Not another rule, but a gift to anchor in your week. Sabbath reminds us I don’t have to earn my worth. I can stop. God is in control.

​In a culture that glorifies hustle, true Biblical rest is an act of rebellion. A declaration of trust. A whisper of faith saying: I am not held together by my striving. I am held together by God.

​I highly recommend this book by John Mark Comer (and most of his teachings) about an unhurried life.

Some Little Things That Help

• A drop of essential oils on your pillow
• Dimming lights and cutting screen time before bed
• Listening to music instead of news during your commute (or silence)
• Ending your day with a good book, not a doom-scroll
• Saying “no” so you can say “yes” to adequate rest

Rest is Always Available

Even if you’re going through a difficult time, rest is not out of reach. It doesn’t demand much time, just a willingness to pause. A life of deep rest is a life lived in tune with your God-given limits and that’s a life of freedom.

You were never meant to run on empty. You were made for rest. Real, restorative, radical rest.

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