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This article is part of SELFs third annualRest Week, an editorial package dedicated to doing less.
Nolan Pelletier
Taking care of yourself, physically and emotionally, is impossible without genuine downtime.
(And were taking our own advice: The SELF staff will be OOO during this time!)
Take the holidays, for example.
In that blissful blip between Christmas and New Years, things tend to finally slow the hell down.
Its an idea thats often ingrained at a young age.
Parents will say stuff like, Do your chores, then you might watch TV.
Or, Finish your homework, then you’ve got the option to play, Nasir says.
So what happens is, rest and joy and creativity become these transactional things for us.
Saving up your rest for a single break or vacation can backfire.
Setting realistic expectations for your time off can make it more restful.
When youre postponing joy and rest, it starts to become mythical in your mind, Nasir says.
Chances are, a week of downtime around the holidays will not undo months ofburnout, for instance.
Simply reminding yourself of that reality can lower your expectationsand help you avoid disappointment.
As can easing yourself into and out of it.
And the same principle applies on the tail end of a break too.
It leaves you at a rest deficit: Youre simply not getting enough of it to recover your energy.
Whats your mood like?)
It stands for: Exercise, Sleep, Connection, Appreciation, Pleasure/Play, and Exhale.
The first two are self-explanatory: Bothmoving and physically restingcan be deeply restorative.
And the last is simply taking a beat to breathe.
Beyond such additions, there are the things you might stripawayfrom your daily activities to similar effect.
Where urgency signals stress, moving leisurely is a measure of calmness.
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