Ris essential. People who make real rest, not just sleep, part of their daily routine, obtain better results in different aspects of their health. Yours sleep quality is better, life satisfaction is greater, chronic pain decreases, work productivity is greater and They even tend to live longer.
The problem is that rest often falls to the bottom of the to-do list. And if you fill your nights and weekends with interesting plans, your free time can be just as demanding and exhausting as work.
Here, experts share their tips for making the most of your downtime while still getting a real, restful night’s sleep.
The science of rest.
While the benefits of physical rest are well known, there is less research on how to optimize psychological rest. There is still no perfect recipe for rest, but there are some basic principles that seem to work best.
One idea is that our brains and bodies seem to need different rest intervals: short daily rests and longer weekly intervals, says David Eccles, a professor of sports psychology at Florida State University who studies mental rest in elite athletes. “The most relaxing activities appear to be absorbing, low cognitive demand, and inherently enjoyable,” he says.
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This combination gives our brain a break. Whether it’s a weekly yoga class or a daily game of ping pong in the break room, rest allows your brain to transition from active problem-solving to your day-dream state. It’s in these periods of rest, “when you’re just distracted,” says Eccles, that your brain processes and stores information.
Another thing we know about rest is that intermittent periods of mind-wandering and passive rest are critical for memory and creativity. That’s why creative solutions and ideas often arise unexpectedly during periods of rest or inactivity, says Alex Pang, author of Rest: why you do more when you work less. And the long-term impact of regular rest is increased productivity.
Take some time off from (all) work
Resting effectively is more than just getting away from the office. Many other things count as work, especially activities we put off until the weekend, like shopping, yard work, and cleaning.
“People say, ‘Of course I know how to use my free time,'” says John Dattilo, a professor of recreation, parks and tourism management at Penn State University who researches leisure. “Actually, we have a hard time taking a break.”
To be rejuvenating, rest can’t be task-oriented, Dattilo says. It is not a means to an end nor is it productive. It doesn’t help you meet a certain expectation or fit into a specific group. Even fun plans and self-care regimens lose their restorative abilities if we do them for the wrong reason, like to seem notable, to fit in, to look good on social media, or to meet a beauty standard.
“Part of rest is that you don’t feel beholden to the external things you’re supposed to do,” Eccles says.
True rest (or what Dattilo calls leisure) is liberating, meaningful, and specific to you. And many times, the simplest activities offer the most rest, Eccles adds. TO survey A study of 18,000 people from 134 countries found that spending time in nature, listening to music and reading for pleasure were some of the most frequently listed restful activities.
look for your joy
Rest is customizable and the most important ingredient is that it is a positive experience. What you do and when you do it matters less.
Your version of rest might be a walk around the neighborhood after a long day, playing soccer with friends on the weekend, or baking on Sunday. The key is that a relaxing activity helps you take your attention away from work, both paid and unpaid, says Eccles.
To know what rests you, pay attention to how an activity makes you feel. If there’s a feeling of monotony, anxiety, or meeting expectations, that’s not relaxing, Datillo says. But if something makes you feel happy or makes you lose track of time, there’s a good chance it’s restorative.
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And the break shouldn’t cost much, says Katie Wical, a public health researcher at Loma Linda University in California. “Spending money increases stress levels,” she says. That’s why simple pleasures, like playing ball, recreating in nature, or sharing a meaningful conversation with a friend, can be more liberating than more extravagant forms of fun, she says.
It is no coincidence that many different religions practice a day of rest. Taking time away from external demands helps us refocus on what is most meaningful. Wical studies the benefits of Sleep Sabbath, the Judeo-Christian practice of taking an entire day to rest each week. “I like to look at Saturday as a weekly vacation day,” Wical says. In their 2023 study of Seventh-day Adventists, Wical’s team found that people who anticipated the arrival of the Sabbath experienced better sleep quality and lower stress during the week.
It is not necessary to be alone to rest well.
While rest may conjure up images of a couch potato, true rest is not like that. In fact, experts agree that scrolling and binge-watching that we often resort to when “doing nothing” is not relaxing at all, because it diverts our attention and causes us to tune out.
Instead, a common theme for a good rest is that it requires the presence of a person, Eccles says. It is about “attending to the present moment instead of reflecting on the past or thinking about the future.” For some people, that might mean going for a walk. For others, that might mean painting. Others may need more intense activities, such as rock climbing, to separate themselves from work and relieve stress, Wical adds.
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In most cases, the best rest is active, not passive, Pang says.
Likewise, you don’t need to be alone at home in silence to recharge your batteries. Regardless of how you rest, it’s likely to become more effective and meaningful when you add other people, experts say.
A simple meal can be more satisfying if you share it with close friends. Go fly fishing, but invite your dad. Even listening to music or reading a book becomes more meaningful when it leads to good conversation with the people around you, Dattilo says.
Rest works best when it makes us feel connected.
Start small
It shouldn’t be so hard to step away from work and do things that bring us joy with the people we love. But experts warn that when you start, rest can be awkward, inconvenient, and even boring.
Because we live in a society where business is virtuous, rest may initially seem empty or aimless, Eccles says. “Start small,” recommends Wical. Instead of dedicating an entire day to rest on the weekend, “it’s okay to start with just three hours.” You will find it helpful to invite your family, roommate, or friends to rest with you. People who see the most success practicing on the Sabbath, for example, do it together with others, Wical says. The community aspect makes lounging feel a little less like swimming against the current.
It may take a few tries before you start to feel truly rejuvenated or even discover how you prefer to rest, Pang says. That’s normal and don’t give up on the first awkward try. “Rest is good because we are made for it,” he says, but that doesn’t mean it comes naturally.