Forget the hustle and bustle, it’s time for some rest and relaxation as we wind up the year and prepare for the year ahead.
Just think, when you look back on this time, how do you want to remember it? Will you look back with regret because you were running ragged? Or would you rather fondly remember quality time spent with loved ones and moments of quiet reflection?
The good news is you get to choose!
But perhaps, you’re not sure how to fit in any R & R when your to-do list is overwhelming. Take heart. You can enjoy rest and relaxation–it just requires a little planning, so let’s get started.
5 Rest and Relaxation Tips to Help you Find Your Inner Peace
1) When it comes to Rest and Relaxation, know what works best for you
We all relax in different ways, so to find what it works for you, let’s go back to the first question and consider how you want to ‘feel’ during the holidays. Do you want to focus more on rest and down-time or are you eager to actively enjoy the holidays with fun activities? Maybe you want a little bit of both.
If you’re not sure, imagine that the holidays are already over, and you just went back to work. Is there something you would regret not doing? For example, would you wish you’d spent more time with the family doing some holiday baking? Would you regret not taking a whirlwind trip or ringing in the New Year at Times Square? Would you wish you had taken time to create your New Year goals or choose your word for the year? Asking yourself what you’d regret can help you figure out what’s important to you now before the time slips away.
Experience inner peace during the holidays with these 5 rest and relaxation tips. Share on X
2) Strike a Balance
While it might be tempting to pack as much into the holidays as possible, trying to do too much can drain your energy. By the time you have to go back to work, you’ll be wondering where the time went. Consider how to balance the holiday parties and activities with relaxation.
You don’t have to say ‘yes’ to every invitation, so if your holiday schedule feels overwhelming, consider politely turning down an invitation or two, so you can make room for rest and relaxation.
And how about all those things on your holiday to-do list, are they really necessary? Sometimes paring down to the essentials and cutting out the rest will give you the breathing room you’ve been looking for.
3) Recognize that there’s more to rest than sleeping
If you’ve ever felt tired after a full night’s sleep, then you know what I mean. Many people equate rest with sleep, but there’s more to rest than getting your z’s. You could spend the entire holiday break sleeping and still not feel rested or relaxed.
In her award-winning book, Sacred Rest[i], Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith reveals seven types of rest. Read through the list and consider which type of rest you might be missing out on so that you can include it in your holiday plans.
i) Physical rest – this is probably the one you think about when you think of rest. It includes sleeping and napping. But it also includes more active things like stretching, massages and yoga.
ii) Mental rest – if you find your mind racing constantly or you’re often distracted, you may be in need of mental rest.
iii) Social rest – rather than feeling depleted when you’re around people who drain our energy, social rest allows you to be energized by spending time with those who are ‘life-giving’.
iv) Spiritual rest – this relates to belonging and community, as well as contributing to a greater good or making a difference.
v) Sensory rest – keeping too many tabs open on your computer, being bombarded by notifications on your phone or too many emails in your inbox can all leave you feeling burnt out at the end of the day.
vi) Emotional rest – being able to openly share your true feelings will help you feel emotionally rested.
vii) Creative rest – this is about taking time to appreciate the beauty around you whether its natural beauty or expressive forms such as art, music or dance.
Identifying the type of rest you need will help you relax during the holidays. If you are still not sure which rest you need to catch up on, Dr. Dalton-Smith offers a free quiz at restquiz.com.
4) Reserve time for reflection
Another great way to relax during the holiday season is to spend time in reflection. A simple way to do this is look back at the year and journal your reflections. If you want to go a bit deeper, the Christmas story offers a wonderful backdrop for reflection based on the Magi’s search for the Messiah. Read Matthew 2:1-12, then answer the questions provided by Marianne Hieb in the Epiphany Cycle[ii] to think about your own journey. Hieb suggests that we can find ourselves in one of these nine places, spiritually speaking. Are you:
- waiting in darkness?
- scanning the night sky?
- identifying a light that appears bright enough to follow?
- setting out on the journey?
- following the star?
- identifying the gift?
- entering a new place and finding the Promised One?
- offering the gift? or
- returning home by another route?
Taking the time to reflect and answer these questions can help you step back from the hustle-bustle and truly savor the holidays.
5) Go easy on yourself
Choosing to rest and relax isn’t always easy and sometimes things don’t go as planned. Making time to relax isn’t meant to stress you out, so go easy on yourself. If plans fall through, simply regroup. Step back from the emotions of the moment and allow yourself to feel all the feelings. If you’re disappointed, it’s okay to admit that. If you wish things had gone differently, that’s fine too. Focus on the things you can control and let go of the rest. Then go back over these rest and relaxation tips and choose one you will enjoy.
However you decide to spend the holidays, my hope is that you will feel refreshed and ready to welcome the New Year. The good news is you don’t have to wait for the holidays to relax. You can make time for rest and relaxation any time of the year by going back to the five tips above. So, cheers to some R & R!
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[i] Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity (affiliate link) by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
[ii] The Epiphany Cycle by Marianne Hieb
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