THE ESSENTIAL
- “Not all downtime is restorative. Good rest must be anticipated, planned and optimized,” according to Stacy Shaw, assistant professor of social sciences and political studies.
- Leisure activities, such as taking a walk outdoors, reading, or listening to music, can help reduce stress and help you recover from the holidays.
- To resist the pressure to be productive, the expert advises lowering your expectations.
Christmas is behind us. But now, stress and fatigue, which weigh heavily on well-being, are falling and are being felt. The only thing to do: recover. But, to fully benefit from the benefits of rest, it is not appropriate to lounge all day on your sofa. “Not all time of inactivity is restorative. Good rest must be anticipated, planned and optimized. (…) The effectiveness of rest periods depends on whether they are satisfactory for the person. This may seem obvious, but we often spend our free time doing unsatisfying things, like scrolling on social networks”, says Stacy Shaw, assistant professor of social sciences and political studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (United States).
Walks, reading, creative activities… “We also need moments of active recovery”
In a publication of The Conversationshe adds that “Sleep is often the first thing we think of when we talk about rest, but we also need moments of relaxation and active recovery that energize us and allow us to recharge. These periods of active rest include physical, social and creative experiences that can take place throughout the day.”
According to the expert, periods of quality rest and leisure can alleviate these stressors, thus promoting recovery and well-being. They can also help reduce psychological tension and prolong positive emotions upon returning to work. For this active recovery, she recommends a walk outdoors, moments of conviviality, listening to music, reading or practicing creative hobbies. “Research shows that walking in nature decreases activation in the area of the brain associated with sadness and ruminations. Other studies have shown that activities like playing the piano or practicing calligraphy significantly lower the stress hormone cortisol.”
Lower expectations to avoid feeling guilty
Subsequently, Stacy Shaw evokes the notion of guilt. “Even with perfectly planned and respected periods of rest, it can set in. Leisure guilt is a psychological concept that encompasses the feeling of unease experienced when spending time on relaxing rather than productive activities. It can interfere with the enjoyment of leisure, thereby compromising one of the mechanisms that link rest to well-being. During the holidays, this problem can be accentuated. This period alters daily habits, day length, temperature and diet. All of these changes can exhaust our energy resources.
To combat guilt, the professor recommends lowering your expectations and accepting the fact of being less productive at all times. “We all need moments of relaxation and rest during the holidays and beyond, but that doesn’t always come easy or natural for everyone. With small adjustments and targeted actions, good rest is within your reach during the holidays.”
