3 Types Of Restorative Leisure

Many people think that the word leisure is a synonym for passivity, inactivity or no productivity. These ideas are wrong, since there are many types of leisure. Second, it should be noted that, even if we were talking about complete passivity, there would be nothing wrong with this either.

The fact of doing nothing or having time to dedicate to activities that are not useful in terms of economic production is not only a right , but it is necessary to maintain physical and emotional balance. Even so, some types of leisure are more enriching than others.

Unfortunately, many people reject the idea of ​​not being busy with something . They can even become restless or bored if they do not do something that is considered useful. This is more the result of contemporary anguish than an excessive sense of responsibility. Let’s see what types of restorative leisure are and why they are important.

1. Palliative, one of the types of restorative leisure

The palliative is one of the types of restorative leisure, because, as its name indicates, it fulfills the function of helping to alleviate  the effects of a negative factor. It is a type of rest specifically designed to rebalance ourselves and reduce the impact of some difficult state, such as stress, pressure, etc.

Palliative leisure implies the development of specific activities aimed at alleviating some form of emotional suffering. Activities such as different types of physical exercise are included there. Sports, walks, or similar activities have this soothing effect.

They also understand the different meditation practices , silent retreats, retreat trips, etc. The main objective is to create the conditions so that the sensations, ideas or feelings that cause discomfort can be assimilated and dissipated.

2. Mental leisure

The second of the types of restorative leisure is mental leisure. In this case, the purpose is no longer exactly to seek internal balance, but to adopt a better state of mind. It has to do with activities like watching a funny movie or going to a funny show.

Within mental leisure there are also group therapies, self-help groups and different creative activities, which are carried out because they give us special satisfaction and have the potential to make us feel better.

Mental leisure helps us to enjoy life more intensely. It is a free time that is dedicated to joy and satisfaction. It is particularly enriching when we feel somewhat overwhelmed by routine or face a complex situation that has not gotten out of hand, but is difficult to cope with. In those cases, the change in mood helps to appreciate things from a more encouraging perspective and renews energy.

3. Social leisure

Social leisure corresponds to all those activities that are specifically dedicated to enjoying the company of other people. In this case, the emphasis is not on the activity that is carried out as such, but on the people with whom it is carried out.

Social is one of the types of restorative leisure that helps us get out of our own world to go to that of others. What it is about here is to share moments, paying special attention to the people with whom we do it. In other words, the interest must be fully focused on that other.

Essentially it corresponds to activities such as talking, go out for a drink with friends, go to a meeting, etc. The important thing is that the central objective is to share. This means that there is no room here for activities that have an additional purpose, such as getting some help, or polishing the social image, etc.

The importance of leisure

All types of leisure are important, because they are the pause that our body and mind need in order to function. There are many serious problems that can only be solved if we pause and stop thinking about them.

Likewise, all types of leisure are a way to protect health. If we do not leave a space for the pause and we dedicate ourselves exclusively to utilitarian activities or that imply some commitment, there comes a point in which stress invades us and this brings unpredictable consequences.

The restorative leisure fulfill the role of renewing us. Also, of course, there are those leisure moments in which we simply want to pass the moment without doing anything transcendent. Not only is it valid, but it is also necessary to have spaces of that nature. It is very common for those moments to become the space to incubate our best ideas and our greatest achievements.