Spark Something New

Episode 54: Rest Isn’t Sleep: The Seven Types You’re Ignoring with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Dr. Katie Sandoe Episode 54

This episode will challenge everything you've come to believe about rest. Dr. Katie chats with physician, researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith to explore what it really means to rest—and why most of us are getting it wrong.

Dr. Saundra shares her groundbreaking framework of the Seven Types of Rest—physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, and creative—and explains why sleep alone isn’t enough to truly restore us. Together, they unpack how our culture’s obsession with productivity leaves us depleted and disconnected, and what it looks like to build a new “ethic of rest” that honors our humanity, energy, and wholeness.

You’ll learn:

  • The critical difference between cessation and restoration
  • How to identify your personal rest deficits using Dr. Saundra’s Rest Quiz
  • Why burnout often persists even after sleep or vacation
  • Simple, science-based ways to refill your energy across all seven dimensions of rest
  • How leaders can foster restoration and resilience within their teams

Dr. Saundra’s insights challenge hustle culture and invite us to reclaim a version of success that actually feels good. As she says, “Don’t just make the honey—stop and taste its sweetness.”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.