20.07.2018 change 20.07.2018

Psychologist: No one should be told how they are supposed to rest

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How do you rest to really be rested? Many people ask themselves this question when planning or starting a vacation. Psychologist says that there is no ready-made recipe and no one should be told how they are supposed to rest.

Each of us should think about what they need for themselves, what they can and above all want to do for themselves - says Joanna Pakskowska-Rogacz from the Institute of Psychology of the University of Lodz.

According to the expert, you should not start vacation planning from wondering how other people rest, what your loved ones and friends want. You should to ask yourself what you need from vacation.

For some - the psychologist adds - it can be active recreation, for example if they work in the office. "But today many people need to stop and turn off for a moment, get some rest from task-oriented mode of operation" - says Joanna Paszkowska-Rogacz.

Many people used to functioning this way: very active work, family life, planning additional activities for themselves and for children, do the same thing on vacation because they believe that`s how it should be done. "In fact, rest requires the same self-mindfulness as planning all other spheres of life" - explains the expert.

In her opinion, when planning a vacation, you can also try to remember what gave you the most pleasure in childhood, in your youth and in later years. Another strategy could be trying something completely new, breaking your habits and getting out of your comfort zone. "The world offers us so many opportunities that we can deliver something completely new for ourselves and open to new experiences, which will also pay off in other spheres of life" - Paszkowska-Rogacz believes.

She adds that different forms of therapy or techniques that came to us from the East, helping to be attentive to the "here and now", can also help in holiday rest.

"Many people have a temporal perspective, a tendency to think mainly about the past and the future. If you have this habit of always thinking about the tasks that await you, or remembering what happened (and a lot of people do nowadays), resting is difficult. It is hard to notice small pleasures, changes in the environment or various elements of leisure, which can give us joy and relaxation right now" - notes the psychologist.

According to the expert, it is worth focusing on various small aspects of leisure - the pleasure of drinking coffee in the morning, savouring its taste, smell; watching sea waves.

"This is convergent with the techniques related to mindfulness, (...) it can help move your thoughts away from what will happen after vacation, what was and is happening at work, and concentrate on what is here and now through contact with the world, but also with yourself and your own body" - she notes.

"Perhaps vacation is a good time to stop and check how you feel not only psychologically, but also physically, what happens with your body when you are lying on the beach, what are the sensations, where are the tensions, and where is relaxation. This could be a clue what your body - as a whole - needs every day. Watch how it changes during the holidays" - says the expert from the Institute of Psychology, University of Lodz.

She believes that a holiday can be a mindfulness training, which can bring very positive effects after returning to daily life.

According to the psychologist, it is worth thinking about holiday also in the context of close relationships, because it can be a time that will allow you to strengthen or rebuild relationships with long-lost friends or extended family. But it can also allow you to focus on the closest family and try to find a compromise between the needs of your spouse, partner, children and your own needs.

"It may be worth it to forget about tasks and focus on how you want to experience contact with your family during the holidays. Do you want to, and if yes, how can you devote more attention to them, yourself and this relationship. Because in this busy world there is probably not much space for it during the year, and every relationship needs nurture" - adds the psychologist.

There are also many people who may need this time just for themselves. Meanwhile, many of them are under pressure to spend holidays with their families and - as a father or mother - feel that they have no right to go alone for a few days and see what they need. "And this can be +charging batteries+, which later makes it easier to be in touch with others, function effectively at work. I would also encourage doing this" - says the psychologist.

She believes that it is also worth to find time to rest regularly throughout the year. "Your body needs rest at any time of the year, and resting once a year is definitely not enough" - emphasises Joanna Paszkowska-Rogacz.

PAP - Science in Poland

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