How to Enjoy Rest Without Guilt
In this hustle culture, we’ve all forgotten how to properly rest.
In a world that wants us to be productive all the time, it can be hard to press the brake pedal.
And, when we finally hit the ‘pause’ button, there’s an uncomfortable feeling coming up – the feeling of guilt, that won’t leave us until we get something done.
But, don’t panic – cause there’s a way out!
In this article, you’re going to discover:
- Why you need to rest
- The 7 types of rest that exist
- 5 golden tips to not feel guilty about taking some time off 😉
So, are you ready to finally let go of the guilt and enjoy your downtime? Then, let’s get started!
DISCLAIMER: I will receive a small commission – which won’t affect your final price – on the mentioned products. I am only promoting products that I consider valuable and beneficial. If you decide to make any purchase, well…thank you for buying me a cup of coffee today! Xx
Why Is Rest Necessary?
As machines need fuel to function, you need rest to keep going.
Unfortunately, Western societies have installed in our brains the idea that you can’t be left doing nothing.
Why? From a capitalist point of view, doing nothing doesn’t make any money. It doesn’t make the economy spin ‘round and ‘round.
It’s no surprise that people have chased wealth above everything else for many decades but, now, things seem to be slowly changing.
New generations are finally embracing a more mindful and slower lifestyle.
The truth is that both your body and mind need rest in order to perform well. If your energy is not at 100%, how can you expect to give it all you have?
You must prioritize resting to prevent your physical or mental health from hitting an all-time low, such as burning out or getting sick.
The saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup” exists for a reason.
Here are some of the benefits you’ll experience by regularly allowing yourself to rest. To name a few, you’ll:
- Be able to stay more focused (and for longer)
- Increase your productivity
- Feel more inspired
- Have more clarity to make better decisions
- Be less tired during the day
Now, let’s dive into the big question…
📌 SHORT ON TIME? PIN IT FOR LATER! 📌
What Is REAL Rest?
I hate to break it to you but resting is not what they want you to think – it’s not laying all day on the couch, watching TV, and eating whatever you want!
When I was feeling uninspired, I learned there are 7 types of rest you need to practice regularly. They are:
- Physical rest
- Mental rest
- Social rest
- Creative rest
- Sensory rest
- Spiritual rest
- Emotional rest
Each of them has different activities you can try to relax and recharge.
The 7 Types of Rest & Activities to Try
Ready to learn more about what each type of rest means and what you can do, depending on what you need? Then, let’s get started!
Physical rest
If you wake up early every morning only to find yourself not wanting to crawl out of bed because your body already feels exhausted – then, physical rest is what you need!
So, what can you do to stop feeling tired all the time and find your energy back? Well, you could engage in active or passive resting activities.
Passive physical rest includes:
- Napping
- Ensuring you get 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep per night
- Adding more fiber and protein to your meals and snacks
On the other hand, active physical rest includes:
- Doing a gentle yoga flow
- Going on a walk
- Stretching your body
Mental rest
Not only your body does need rest, but your mind does too. Cause, if only your body stops moving while your mind is still spinning around, then you’re not really resting.
Resting mentally is one of the toughest things you can do – but, when you do it right, you can expect to feel its benefits!
When you’re mentally resting, you’re in the here and now.
You’re not feeling overwhelmed by your endless to-do list.
You’re allowing yourself to simply be. Here. Now.
But, how can you achieve such a state of peace and tranquility? Well, some of the best things you can do to mentally rest are:
- Listening to music
- Meditating
- Trying adult-coloring books
- Doing a quick braindump session
- Taking mindful breaks in between tasks
- Going on a walk
Social rest
Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, we all need some time off from people!
What does change? The amount of time you need to stay with – or away from – people. 😉
So, if you’re an extrovert, socializing actually charges you up; while, if you’re an introvert, you’ll feel exhausted after being social for too long.
For the extroverts out there, to get some social rest, you might need to:
- Catch up with an old friend
- Spend some quality time with a loved one
- Join a local club or community
On the other end, some recommendations for all my introverts out there are:
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Letting go of your people-pleasing tendencies by learning how to say ‘no’
- Taking some time off from social media
- Going on a solo date
- Stepping away from toxic relationships
Creative rest
Do you know how the greatest inventors of all time had their life-changing ideas without even trying?
Usually, the solution to our problems and the inspiration for our projects don’t come when we’re stubbornly thinking about it. It hits us suddenly, when we least expect it.
When you feel stuck in a rut – especially a creative one -, it’s fundamental to give yourself plenty of downtime.
Some things you could do during your creative rest phases, to spark your inspiration, are:
- Going on nature walks
- Taking a shower
- Drawing or painting
- Baking
- Reading a book
Read here: “The 5 Best Self-Help Books of All Time”
Sensory rest
Whether you acknowledge it or not, our brains are constantly stimulated by the external environment.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that, at times, you might feel like you need a break from life!
If it all seems too much to handle, and you can’t take it anymore – here’s what you can try doing to relax your senses:
- Lie down with an eye mask
- Do a digital detox and unplug from all devices
- Go on a silent walk
- Take a relaxing bath
- Do a body-scan meditation
- Indulge in self-care
Spiritual rest
You need spiritual rest when you no longer feel in alignment with yourself, your life vision, and your values.
Spiritual rest is all about connecting with your inner self and gaining a greater sense of purpose in life.
Here are a few things that allow you to properly rest your spirit:
- Volunteer and give to your community
- Make a gratitude list
- Repeat positive affirmations
- Manifest your dream life
- Get clear on your life values and take aligned actions
PS. Not sure what your values are? Grab here your FREE “Core Values Workbook” and get ready to uncover your life path!
Emotional rest
If you never take the time to process what happens in your life, you’ll always feel like you’re spinning in circles – making little to no progress.
Life is full of ups and downs, and – despite how much we’d love to experience only the highs of it -, it’s important to learn how to navigate through the hard days too.
Engaging in emotional rest means allowing yourself to process what has occurred to you, and especially how you feel about it.
As I’m sure you’ve already heard thousands of times:
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus
So, here is your gentle reminder to process and express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Whether that’s by:
- Talking to a therapist
- Reaching out to a friend
- Opening up and being vulnerable
- Journaling
PS. Looking for the right inspiration to journal? Grab here your FREE “50 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery” to get to know the REAL you! 😉
How to Enjoy Your Rest Time (Without Guilt)
Ok, so now you know all about rest!
But, how can you finally learn how to rest without experiencing crippling anxiety or guilt for slowing down and taking a break?
Here are 5 tips that can help you finally enjoy your rest time without feeling guilty for it. Let’s dive in!
Shift your perspective around resting
In Western countries, there is a misconception that resting is a waste of time.
It’s rooted in the hustle culture, that wants you to believe your worth is tied up to your productivity level.
So, if you’re not being productive, it means you’re unworthy.
To enjoy rest, you must reframe your concept of it.
We all need rest!
Rest is essential to actually be able to be more productive in the long run!
So, let go of all the expectations you have.
During your rest time, there shouldn’t be any “shoulds”, “have to” or “must”.
It’s just you, your free time, and what you want to do with it! (And, if you don’t want to do anything – that’s ok too!)
Without resting, you wouldn’t be able to do all the things that you love doing. Remember this the next time you’re not sure if you’ve done enough 😉
Draw from your bucket list
It might be that you feel guilty about resting because you’re connecting resting to doing things that (deep down) you know aren’t any good for you.
I mean, if you spend every weekend on the couch, only talking to the pizza-delivery guy and scrolling through Instagram reels that make you feel bad about yourself…Well, no wonder why your rest time is filled with guilt!
So, how can you stop this?
It starts with being intentional with your free time.
For example, you could create a bucket list with hobbies, ideas, and activities you’d like to try whenever you have some spare time.
They are not “shoulds” or responsibilities you “must” do (see point #1) – they’re just things you truly want to do!
Here are some ideas you could add to your bucket list:
- Launching your blog
- Knitting
- Painting
- Baking
- Gardening
- Practicing yoga
- Meditating
- Learning a new language
- Starting a YouTube channel
- Trying a new workout
- Coloring
- Journaling
- Reading
- Learning a new skills
The world is your oyster! 😉
Acknowledge there’s a season for everything
To learn how to rest without feeling guilty for doing it, you must embrace the lesson that there’s a season for everything.
Just like it happens with nature, you follow too a life cycle with its peaks and lows.
So, what season of your life are you currently in?
- If you’re full of creative energy and ideas, then you’re blooming – just like it happens to all flowers in the springtime!
- Are you feeling extra motivated and social? Then you’re in the summer season of your life – enjoy it! 😉
- If you’re feeling like you’re struggling but at least you’re still moving forward – then you must be entering the fall season!
- And, if you feel lost or low on energy almost every day – then you’re probably facing a long, cold winter…
But, the beauty of the wintertime is that it makes you appreciate the warmth of the other seasons more – don’t you think?
Embrace the slump. The emptiness. The lack of energy.
You’re experiencing this for a reason.
Don’t beat yourself up for not performing enough, for struggling, or simply for needing some extra rest.
It’s all okay.
Don’t rush through the seasons of your life because they exist for a reason (or a season 😉 )
Identify your time wasters
Sometimes you feel guilty because you know you’re not resting but just wasting your time.
If you want to enjoy some downtime guilt-free, you need to first identify your time wasters.
What are your toxic habits? Are you:
- Scrolling too much on social media?
- Watching too much TV?
- Spending time with negative people?
- Procrastinating over your projects?
- Postponing working on your goals?
Once you understand what makes you feel like you’re not making the most of your free time, you must take action!
Here’s how you can take control back of your downtime:
- Stop people-pleasing
- Set healthy boundaries
- End toxic and one-sided relationships
- Set screen-time limits
- Delete some social media apps
- Do a digital detox
- Create a detailed plan to achieve your life goals
It’s not about how much time you have; it’s about the way you spend it.
Go all-in with resting
Finally, if you want to rest without any guilt, you need to allow yourself to go all-in about rest.
Meaning that, when your body is resting, your mind is too.
The truth is that you could engage in all of the different activities I mentioned above based on the type of rest you need but, if you’re not focusing on your activity, it’s all meaningless.
You’ll feel fully rested and recharged once you train your mind to be where your body is.
Learn how to be where your feet are.
So, if you’re:
- Socially resting by going on a solo date – make sure you enjoy your own company and stop thinking about your endless to-do list
- Mentally resting by baking – let your five senses fire up as you fully engage in what you’re making
- Spiritually resting by meditating – don’t get caught up in the stream of your thoughts, but let them go…
Your attention is what matters the most in every activity you do.
Conclusion
That’s all for me today!
I hope this article helped you understand that rest is key to your well-being.
Allow yourself to take a break – not only when you feel like you need one, but regularly. Don’t wait to be at your lowest to find your way back.
Rest. Relax. Recharge. (And you’ll come back stronger than ever 😉 )
Q: “What’s the type of rest you feel like you need the most now? How are you going to satisfy your need?” – Let me know in a comment! 🙂
Until next time,
