Rest, Don’t Just Collapse: How to Make Summer Leave Truly Restorative

Imagine your body is a smartphone battery. When you get busy, the percentage drops, little by little. When you finally hit ‘low battery’ and plug in your charger, do you keep scrolling through apps, refreshing pages, and sending messages? Or do you actually let it recharge?

Too often, leave looks like that first option. We try to catch up on everything we didn’t have time for, emails, chores, plans…until we crash, more tired than before. But real rest is about being intentional in how we restore ourselves.

What Does Mindful Rest Look Like?

Rest isn’t just doing nothing. It’s doing what actually helps you feel better – mentally, physically, emotionally. It’s switching off the noise and paying attention to what you need.

Here’s how to get more out of your time off:

• Switch off “busy” mode

  Set clear boundaries around work while you’re on leave. Don’t check emails out of habit. Give yourself real time away.

  
  

• Focus on quality, not quantity

  You don’t need a packed itinerary. Choose a few things that properly recharge you, like a good book, a slow walk, or just some quiet time.

  
  

• Listen to your body

  Notice how you feel, not just physically, but emotionally too. Rest means responding to what your body’s telling you, even if it’s just sleeping in or sitting still for a bit.

  
  

• Make space for stillness

  A busy mind doesn’t reset on its own. Try journaling, slow breathing, or just sitting with a cup of tea and letting yourself do nothing for a moment.

  
  

• Rethink your “to-do” list

  Instead of catching up on tasks, catch up with yourself. What brings you peace? What have you been missing?

  
  

The aim isn’t just to take a break and survive it, it’s to come back feeling clearer, calmer, and with more energy to enjoy life. Like a phone that’s fully charged, you’ll function better when you’ve had a proper reset. So, this holiday, don’t just press pause. Give yourself time to actually rest. Step away, slow down, and return with something more than just a checked-off to-do list.