The Concept of Rest

Many of the minimalists and simple living advocates I follow cannot write enough about the value of rest. The benefits of spending time being “unbusy”, of not following a schedule and taking time out from daily stresses and responsibilities are noteworthy: better quality sleep, improved creativity, stronger relationships and superior mental and physical health. However, the concept of “rest” is not universal; what you and I consider rest may be entirely different.

As a runner and fitness enthusiast, I believe that a rest day does not necessarily mean lying on the sofa and “resting” all day. A rest day means refraining from running and high impact exercise, so taking a yoga class, gentle cycling or going for a long walk are all appropriate activities.

I apply the same approach to resting in my daily life. Having too much time and too much space allows me to become apathetic and lazy, and without routine I can become irritable and anxious. Spending a whole day binge-watching a Netflix show might sound like heaven to some of you who haven’t watched anything other than children’s TV for 3 years, but I know that I won’t be able turn off my brain and sleep well if I haven’t engaged my brain (and body) in some useful manner during the day.

Conversely, rest for me does not mean NOT doing things; it means doing the things I know bring me pleasure and enable me to function at my highest possible physical, intellectual and emotional level.

My Chosen Few Rest Activities

(1) Walking – preferably along a beach but I’ll make do with a local park or even the leafy neighborhoods close to my home.

(2) Ironing – I find taking a pile of wrinkled clothes, smoothing out the creases, hanging them up and enjoying their fresh steamy scent remarkably therapeutic.

(3) Dancing around my living room – turn up the tunes! There’s nothing quite like a good dance to some of My Chosen Few songs to refresh and rejuvenate.

(4) Engaging in conversation with My Chosen Few people – on the phone or in person. Confession: I’m not really into video calls. I know my family lives in another country so I should be, but I’m not. The phone is fine.

(5) Reading – I’ve always loved to read, especially historical fiction and novels with some sort of social justice topic. However, the last few years I’ve become much more interested in memoirs, leadership/professional growth and, of course, minimalism.

(6) Writing – having time to think and to write is an undeniable luxury, and I am thankful to currently be able to structure my life with this passion in mind.

What are your Chosen Few rest activities?