How to have a proper rest

If you’re anything like me, you could do with a decent rest this summer. Psychologists have reported an increase in mental fatigue during the lockdown, and even “pandemic burnout”. I’ve escaped that, thankfully, but I’m certainly feeling a little run down. Apparently, “languishing” is the mood of 2021.

First coined by sociologist Corey Keyes, the phrase languishing is used to describe the opposite of flourishing. Symptoms include tiredness, apathy and a sense of restlessness.

“(Languishing) captures how many of us have been feeling about the impact of the pandemic,” psychologist Christian Jarrett told British Vogue. “We might know that we’re not depressed, as such, yet we also have a sense that we’re not enjoying life and we’re struggling to feel optimistic about the future. It’s a neat term for describing that middle ground between having a diagnosable mental health problem and being mentally well and thriving.”

Rediscover the art of rest

Different experts suggest different solutions for languishers, including making plans for the future and building routines to re-establish a feeling of control. But most are agreed that we need to take better care of ourselves and, most of all, to rediscover how to rest.

I’ll admit, I’ve never been good at making myself rest. By blurring the distinction between work and rest, working from home has made it even harder for those like me to set aside time for switching off.

The most rest-inducing activities

Determined to put that right, I turned to The Art of Rest by Claudia Hammond. The book had its origins in the largest survey on rest ever conducted. The Rest Test in 2016 surveyed more than 18,000 people in 135 countries. Participants were asked to pinpoint the precise activities that they found most restful, and the top ten activities made it into the book.

In reverse order, here they are:

10. Meditation or practising mindfulness

9. Watching television

8. Daydreaming

7. Having a bath or shower

6. Walking

OK, there are probably no surprises there. I’ve devoted plenty of time to all of those things during the Covid crisis.

More surprising are the top five most rest-inducing activities:

5. Doing nothing in particular

I'll admit, I have a problem with this one. I tend to feel guilty when I’m not using my time productively. But it appears I’m in a minority because every age group apart from 31- to 45-year-olds said they found doing nothing very restful. And if you really can’t justify total idleness, the author suggests doing almost nothing — knitting, colouring in or doing a jigsaw puzzle, for example.

4. Listening to music

This activity was rated especially highly by younger people, and more men than women reported finding it restful. So what kind of music helps most? Go for slow tracks with easy, flowing rhythms, Hammond suggests. And it doesn’t have to be classical. The important thing, she says, is that it’s music you actually like to listen to.

3. Being on your own

It’s noticeable how many of the top ten activities are often done alone. Surprisingly perhaps, seeing friends and family or drinking socially came much further down the list. Even the extroverts surveyed said they found being on their own more restful than being with other people. So, without shunning human contact altogether of course, give yourself plenty of “me-time”.

2. Being in the natural environment

Where, then, should you spend that time alone? Well, a good option for those who want to feel more rested is to spend it in nature. There’ve been several academic studies showing the therapeutic benefits of enjoying the great outdoors. A 2015 study by researchers at Stanford Univeristy, for example, found that a 90-minute walk on a nature trail decreases activity in the region of the brain linked to feelings of sadness and negative thoughts.

Now for the activity ranked the most rest-inducing of all:

1. Reading

That’s right. 58% of people said they found reading restful. Interestingly, those who scored high on a scale which measured whether they felt they were flourishing in life were also more likely to choose reading as their favourite restful activity. Why reading is so restful is unclear. One explanation, the author says, lies in the control you have over the experience — reading in your own way and at your own pace.

Embrace your inner country squire

Ultimately, says Hammond, everyone needs to find the right activity for them, and give themselves permission to enjoy it.

“The ideal activity,” she says, “absorbs you enough to distract you from your worries, but might also allow your mind to wander.”

She also says we should stop seeing being busy as a status symbol and learn from our ancestors. “In the nineteenth century," she points out, "if you were rich, you might indicate that by enjoying a life of leisure in the city and then retiring to a country retreat for some more leisure!”

So, have a restful summer, everyone. And remember: if modern life is getting down, imagine you’re a wealthy Victorian and try living like a country squire.