I don’t always sleep well. This results in me either making a very early start to my day or oversleeping. We’ve all done the ‘just a few more minutes’ thing and then come to with a feeling of panic.

Talking to people at networking events, it appears that I am not the only one to find rest elusive. It seems none of us can get to sleep when we need to, stay asleep or wake up feeling refreshed at the right time. A few people shared horror stories of being unable to wake up early all week, but then feeling strangely energised and clear-headed at 5 am on a Saturday.

It’s common knowledge that none of us is resting enough. That we are all permanently exhausted. That hustle cultures and 4 am/5 am club still have a certain aspirational glamour. This topic led in turn to a fascinating discussion about the different types of rest. This was news to me. I was intrigued enough to Google it when I got home and discover that I am late to the party on this one.

The beauty of the internet is that I was able to read a variety of blog posts about Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith, the 7 types of rest and examples of activities for each. If you can’t be bothered to look it up yourself, they are physical, mental, emotional, sensory, spiritual, social and creative. 

Take that into account and it’s clear that a nap isn’t a one-stop solution for solving your recharging issues. It probably won’t do you any harm if you do want to have 40 winks right now. There’s a marvellous Kevin Kelly quote – if you can’t tell what you desperately need, it’s probably sleep. For me, what’s interesting about rest coming in more than one flavour is how it connects to scaffolding.

Personal scaffolding is what you have in place to support you in your daily life. I can’t tell you exactly what these will look like for you. Only you can do that as it is very specific to the individual and the circumstances. It’s something I suggest everyone do (and that I regularly help clients with). 

Scaffolding is made up of habits, checklists, reminders and people. Rest supports scaffolding. Scaffolding supports rest. They have an interestingly symbiotic relationship. You’ll actually do things on your checklist if you’re rested. You’ll get the rest you need – not necessarily sleep – because your scaffolding will make sure of it.

Ticking things off a list sounds a bit boring. However, fooling around with the different types of rest sounds a lot like playing. It actually sounds like something both fun and useful. That’s a total win in my book (like pink trainers being comfy to wear and aesthetically pleasing).

I often come across the advice that if you’re feeling out of sorts, you should treat yourself like a toddler. You check in with yourself to see if you are hungry, thirsty, need a break or need a rest. Finding out what a rest might look like just got a whole lot more interesting. 

Do you want to build your scaffolding, learn about fun offsetting and put yourself in the very best position to win in business? I recommend a £25 discovery call – book now using the pink button and find out how to make life less boring and more amazing.