Learn how to recover effectively over the holidays with these 6 simple styles of rest. These self-care ideas can help you make the most of your time off.

Back when I was in university, I would look forward to my Christmas holidays so much every year.

It was the only time of the year where I had absolutely no responsibilities, and it was a beautiful thing to me! I loved entering a three-week period that didn’t have any jobs, homework, or expectations for productivity.

For those three weeks each year, I could sit and do absolutely nothing! 

But every year I would look back at those weeks off and feel that I wasted them.

I always felt like I used my precious time off poorly.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was that I thought I was doing wrong, but every year was the same. It would end with me wishing I had more time and thinking that I should have spent that time differently. 

After many more years of holidays and vacations, I have finally discovered what it was that I should have been doing differently and it has made all the difference since then. 

I realized that I was only resting in one way when there are multiple forms of rest and self-care that we need to have during time off.  

I had spent the entirety of my breaks resting the same way- vegging out on the couch binging television shows.

Instead, I should have been doing different varieties of self-care to make me feel like I addressed every personal need. 

Related Post: 10 Simple Ways To Rest And Recover This Christmas

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6 Styles of self-care that I use on holidays

This realization was how I ended up creating my own system of rest for the holidays.

These forms of rest for self-care are not ideas I researched or found in a book. I came up with them myself when I recognized that becoming a couch potato for three weeks a year just wasn’t going to help me. 

And the crazy thing is that, a couple of years later, I came to discover that they were quite similar to the more widely-accepted concept of self-care.

Today, I want to share these six simple styles of rest with you!

I can tell you with confidence that employing all of these styles of rest will make a huge difference in how you feel at the end of a vacation.

By using all of these variations of rest and self-care, you will be able to properly rest and recharge so that you are ready to work again when the time comes. 

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How to use the 6 Simple Styles of Rest

My problem years ago was that I only used one style of rest, but when I started to use all of the different styles, I was better able to rest and recharge.

Before you start your vacation, think of things that you can do throughout the break that come from every category of rest.

Ideally, you should spend an equal amount of your vacation time engaging in each style of rest.

The more equally you can utilize each style of rest, the better you will feel at the end of your time off. 

Related Post: 73 Magical Self-Care Sunday Ideas For A Better Week

Why is self-care important during the holidays?

So many people struggle with burnout after the holiday season is over and it’s because they don’t know how to properly implement self-care during that time.

It’s easy to assume that because you’re not at work, you are relaxing and recharging but it’s not that easy.

Proper self-care requires attention to multiple areas of your life.

If you ignore some of your self-care needs, you will still feel exhaustion and burnout when it’s time to return to work.

The 6 Simple Styles of Rest for Self-Care

These styles of holiday rest are all the forms of self-care I created for myself before learning about the more widely-known forms of self-care. If you are curious about the more officially accepted styles of self-care, you can check out the links sprinkled throughout this post!

Related Post: 6 Important Types Of Self-Care Habits You Need In Your Life!

1. Social Rest

This style of rest involves resting alongside other people.

It might be more active socializing, like a party or hosting a dinner, but it can also be something low-key, like watching a movie with friends or reading in the same room as someone else.

In any case, the main point of this style of rest is that you are investing time with other people that you don’t normally have. 

Here are some ways you can get social rest: 

• Visit family and friends you haven’t seen for a while
• Go out for coffee with a friend and catch up on each other’s lives
• Write a letter to someone you miss
• Video chat with someone far away
• Watch a movie with others
• Host a dinner or brunch
• Have a game night
• Play music with someone else
• Have cuddle time with your significant other
• Slow down and just chat with the people you meet

Related Post: Your Complete Guide to Social Self-Care • Everything You Need To Know

2. Personal Rest

This simple style of rest is the opposite of the previous one.

Instead of spending time with others, you should spend some time doing things alone.

If you have kids, this might be the hardest one to honour, but it is worth it to try to make it happen.

You could get a babysitter, ask your spouse to cover for you for a bit or try to fit this time into your early morning or late night (after the kids are asleep).

It can be hard to find the time for this style of rest, but it is extremely important because this is where the reflection happens.

This is your time to really notice how you are feeling and growing.

Without this time alone, it can be hard to stay conscious of your own life. You’ll likely end up going through each day without really thinking about what you’re doing.

It is also an important time for spiritual connection, prayer and Bible study.

Here are some things you could do for personal rest:

• Go for a walk alone
• Listen to music or play music yourself
• Spend time in prayer and meditation
• Study the Bible
• Read a book (get some book recommendations)
• Reflect on your year or reflect on how you are feeling
• Write in a journal or do morning pages
• Enjoy a drink in a cozy space
• Cook a meal or dessert for yourself 
• Watch a movie that no one else wants to watch with you

Related Posts: 19 Powerful Spiritual Self-Care Practices For Better Spiritual Health

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3. Physical Rest

Unlike the previous styles of rest, this category has nothing to do with social things.

You can feel free to do these activities alone or with friends.

The point of this rest and self-care is to ensure that your physical body is being cared for while you relax.

I don’t know about you, but my body often struggles when I’ve spent an entire day lazing around. It feels sluggish the next day and my joints feel stiff. Sometimes it even makes my sleep worse.

The category of physical rest will ensure that your body stays healthy while you care for your mind and your soul.

It will keep your body healthy and tended to while you relax. 

Here are some things you should be doing daily for physical self-care: 

• Drink enough water daily
• Eat nutritious food, not just junk food
• Get at least one hour of movement each day
• Get some sunlight every day
• Keep a regular sleep schedule
• Maintain a basic hygiene routine

Related Post: 15 Physical Self-Care Activities Guaranteed To Boost Your Health

4. Creative Rest

To rest and recharge properly, it can be good to encourage some creativity into your routine.

You don’t need to be an artist to do something creative.

I believe that every human being has an inclination towards creative endeavours. It’s just a matter of how that creativity manifests itself.

Using our creativity feeds the soul and helps the brain to rest in a different way and it is proven to help our mental health.

Providing time for creative projects is a must for your time off. 

Creative activity is not necessarily artistic. Creativity is used any time you create something.

Here are some examples of different creative projects you could try: 

• Constructing something (woodworking, making candles, making something out of clay)
• Cooking or baking
• Trying a diy project
• Doing renovations you enjoy around the house
• Trying flower arrangements 
• Making your own jewelry
• Playing or creating music
• Writing a story 
• Designing a bullet journal page
• Colouring
• Painting

Related Post: 30 Powerful Self-Care Activities For Brain-Boosting Mental Stimulation

5. Productive Rest

This simple style of rest might feel the most bizarre to you because it is technically work, not rest. However, it is work that helps you breathe easier when it’s done. 

Imagine this: you are relaxing at home over the holidays and trying all of the different styles of rest, but everywhere you look, you are reminded of things you’ve never gotten around to doing.

There’s a pile of papers that need reviewing on the desk.

The fridge has a sticky note on it with a number you meant to call a month ago.

You have a bin of clothes that needed mending that you just never had time for.

Instead of feeling relaxed, you feel the stress of these unfinished items nagging at you to get them finished. 

Time off is the perfect moment to get some of those nagging items checked off of your to-do list.

Set aside some time to get some of these to-do’s completed so that you can feel like your life is more organized and put together. 

Here are some things you might be able to do in this category: 

• Fix items that needed mending
• Go through items that can be donated or tossed
• Make calls you have been putting off
• Do a deep-clean of an area of the house you are always forgetting about
• Go through all of the loose papers in your house
• Organize your email
• Organize your digital photos
• Print photos that you’d like to have in your house
• Buy items you’ve had on your shopping list for a while but keep forgetting
• Re-organize places in your home that have been getting out of control
• Pay special attention to your plants
• Look up answers to things you’ve been wondering for a while

Related Post: 21 Simple Ways To Implement Practical Self-Care For Anxiety

6. Complete Rest

This has always been the most dangerous style of rest for me. It is the easiest one to do, and this is the style that I used to spend my entire vacation doing.

This style of self-care will help you rest and recharge, but if it is all you do, you won’t feel good about it at the end of the time off.

Complete rest is all about doing as little as possible.

It is the art of doing nothing.

This style of self-care is definitely important, but make sure it doesn’t become the only one you do. 

Here are some examples of complete rest: 

• Lying on the couch 
• Staying in your pyjamas
• Eating junk food
• Binge-watching a show, movie, or podcast
• Sleeping in or taking a nap
• Reading a book
• Playing video games

Related Post: 27 Unbelievably Easy Ways To Practice Emotional Self-Care

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Final tips for holiday self-care

I had mentioned previously that it is best to try to split your time evenly amongst all six categories, but you might have noticed that many activities fit under multiple categories.

For example, going for a walk is both Physical and Personal Rest. Watching a movie is Complete Rest and Social Rest (if you are watching with friends).

There are many times where one activity serves multiple categories.

You don’t need to be militant about making sure that you are dividing your time evenly amongst all of the styles of rest. Basically, just try to get some variety in the kind of rest that you engage in, and you’ll be fine. 

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I hope that these holiday rest ideas can help you the next time you take a break.

Whether it is for a day or a month, this self-care list can help ensure that you are helping every part of your body, mind, and soul rest and recharge. 

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What do you like to do for holiday self-care?

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