Happy Sunday! It’s the day of rest, and that’s our plan for most of today. It got me thinking…
What does “rest” mean to you?
To me, the definition of rest changes depending on where I’m at. Sometimes rest is sitting, and sometimes rest is moving. But regardless of where I’m at, I still equally re-energize during that rest period.
When I’m at home, “rest” means relaxing in whatever way I can find that day. Some days that means I’m picking up some of the clutter, working on a project, or watching a documentary. Other days it means going for a walk or sitting outside with a coffee.
When I’m traveling, “rest” is typically more defined as simply moving slower. If you’ve ever traveled with me, you’ll know that I get antsy sitting in the same spot for too long (I mean, there’s just so much out there to see and learn and experience, I don’t want to miss it!), so rest looks very different when I travel than it does when I’m at home. Maybe I’ve planned a sightseeing tour, a beach day, a foodie day, or a trip to a museum.
Taking a break during your vacation (or staycation) is the best way to recharge so you can enjoy some leisure time. If you’re antsy like me and don’t like “just sitting” to relax (not that there’s anything wrong with that), or are looking for new ways to relax, I wanted to share these ideas with you. The ideas can be done locally or while traveling!
Ways to Rest
- Visit a local museum or historical site. We’re very focused on learning, and we almost always visit museums or historical sites while traveling (especially if they’re in the form of a park or historical building). Even here at home, we’ve been to multiple local museums around the area. These can be such calm and intellectually stimulating experiences.
- Take a nature walk or hike. Enjoy the scenery and breathe that fresh air. Fresh air is so incredibly important to our wellbeing as humans. Notice all of the steps you’re taking, how you feel taking them, and reflect on what you’re grateful for.
- Pack a picnic and spend the day in a park! To me, it’s equally as fun planning and packing for the picnic than it is going on it. Make it as simple or as robust as you’d like – remember the idea is to rest and not add extra stressors.
- Beach day: If you’re near a beach, spend the day soaking up the sun, listening to the waves, and maybe reading a good book or listening to a podcast.
- Take your bike (or borrow/rent one) and explore your surroundings via bike at your own, relaxed pace. It’s amazing the details and things you see from a bike. You can drive down the same street year after year and see the same thing, then ride that same street via bicycle and see entirely different things! That sounds theoretical but that literally happened to me in my hometown last year – found a park and historical marker that I’d never seen before.
- Catch up on a book you’d been wanting to finish (or start). My favorite types are true stories about adventure, or personal development.
- Watch a documentary or TV series about a subject of your interest! Similar to books, I love binging adventure documentaries (especially the productions by The North Face, Arc’teryx, etc.).
- Photography excursion: Take a leisurely stroll with your camera and capture interesting sights around you. You’ll be so surprised to see what details you start noticing!
- Mindfulness activities: Practice mindfulness through activities like journaling, coloring, or simply being present in the moment. Take things slow.
Remember, the key is to do activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Listen to your body and choose activities that align with your energy levels and preferences. The idea is to be intentional and thoughtful about your actions.
What would you add to the list?
Happy Resting!
Elissa
P.S. This post is part of the 2023 Blogmas series. Check out the other posts here.