Episode 48

Rest Is More Than Sleep - with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Published on: 4th June, 2024

In this episode Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, founding physician and well-being expert takes us through the seven types of rest, how to know which one you need, and the gifts that come from a well-rested life.

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, founding physician and well-being expert tells us why rest is about more than just sleep and how by through the seven types of rest, you can not only reset your battery, but enjoy a more fulfilling life. Dr. Dalton-Smith takes us through her journey of her own story of burnout and how she made adjustments after realizing that living a successful life full of stress and “producing” wasn’t as important as her own well-being. She gets into the relationship between sleep and rest, the science behind sleep, and other factors that impact everyday rest. She explains how scientific research and her unique view on spirituality has informed the seven types of rest in her book, Sacred Rest.

Trigger Warning: We talk briefly about suicide in this show. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for mental health assistance. In Canada, dial 988. If there is immediate risk, dial 911. For resources where you are, here is a list of global mental health resources:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mental_health_resources

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a Board-Certified internal medicine physician, speaker, and award-winning author. She is an international well-being thought-leader featured in numerous media outlets including Prevention, MSNBC, Women’s Day, FOX, Fast Company, Psychology Today, INC, CNN Health, and TED.com. She is the author of numerous books including her bestseller Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, including insight on the seven types of rest needed to optimize your productivity, increase your overall happiness, overcome burnout, and live your best life. Over 250,000 people have discovered their personal rest deficits using her free assessment at RestQuiz.com. Learn more about Dr. Saundra at DrDaltonSmith.com.

4:04 Empathy and compassion in the conversation about rest

5:33 Secrets of the well-rested

8:36 Pushing back on culture to claim what we need

11:38 Saundra’s personal burnout journey

16:34 The relationship between rest and sleep

20:41 How technology is affecting our rest routines

22:47 Regulating breaks for work sessions and workshops

26:50 Mental-exhaustion, and why it’s so common now

30:40 Increased stimulation in the world and how it’s affecting rest for sensitive people

34:16 How do we find quiet in a noisy world?

36:26 Increasing productivity and connection in conferences and workshops

37:53 Saundra's view of spirituality and how it ties into rest