For my partner, he is quietly reading a book on a beach in the South of France, glass of rosé in hand, a view of the waves in front of him. Classic.
For me, I am most relaxed when I am doing something with my hands and creating something. Or when I am learning and synthesising ideas and then putting them down on paper.
But just as we fall into habits, we tend to reach towards some of the same ‘rest’ tools time and again, without really considering what type of rest we really need.
Sometimes, one form of rest might actually be detrimental:
Staying in your bed, marinading in your self, causes inertia. The body is not made to stay still forever. Movement can often be a better form of rest than lying down.
However, if you’re in need of spiritual restoration, it may be that a jog or a walk in the park just doesn’t hit the spot — and you return feeling more drained than ever.
Or if you’re in need of emotional rest, distracting yourself will television might not help — but rather make you feel even more disconnected from yourself and the world.
