Did you know that in Italy it’s customary to take a “holiday” for the month of August? August marks Ferragosto, an ancient Roman festival now celebrated as a national holiday, when the entire country slows down to celebrate life and leisure. When was the last time you had an entire month of vacation? I can’t say it’s a yearly occurrence for me, either. While it’s not customary in the US, nor a realistic goal for many of us, let’s explore the benefits of relaxation and leisure, and ways for you to implement this tradition into your life.
Embrace the Italian spirit: Even if you can’t take an entire month off, you can still embrace the Italian spirit of summer. Enjoy leisurely meals with friends and family, indulge in an afternoon gelato, or take an evening passeggiata (stroll). These small practices can bring a sense of relaxation and enjoyment to your daily routine.
Lean into rest: Believe it or not, sometimes you just need to stop moving. This is something I struggle with during the day, especially. Snuggle up and read a book just for fun, listen to a podcast, or watch a show and allow your body and mind to take a break. Rest can include a leisurely shower or bath, meditating, or taking a nap.
Build in activities you love: Use your free time to explore activities you enjoy or want to invest time in. It's helpful to have options to gauge when you have higher and lower energy. Reflect on these activities and write a list to keep handy. For example, try making a summer pasta dish like homemade pesto, taking a leisurely passeggiata, or exploring a new hobby.
Think through logistics: Just like you schedule meetings, workouts, and social plans, you can also preserve your downtime. Using the structures you use for other tasks will allow you to actually follow through. This could mean blocking off your calendar, setting a reminder on your phone, writing in your planner, or asking a friend to be your accountability partner. Ideally, you can get in the habit of consistently honoring downtime.
Give yourself a break, mentally: Taking time for ourselves can be hard because we've embraced the mentality that we're successful if we are busy and stressed. Change requires shifting our mindset that caring for ourselves and slowing down allows us to be our happiest and healthiest selves. Become more aware of your negative self-talk, guilt, or criticism, and learn to reframe your perspective. Let go of your negative thoughts and instead adopt the habit of validating yourself and appreciating your intuition. Remember that there is only one expert on who you are, and that’s YOU.
Experiment and adjust: View this time as an experiment and allow yourself to try a different approach if it doesn't go perfectly the first time. Gain confidence in taking the time and space to fill up your cup, invest in your well-being, and allow yourself to step into the most authentic, best version of yourself.
