Truly resting on the weekend

(Reblog)

"The art of weekend rest"

Words & Styling by Julie Pointer Photographs by Laura Dart Location The Barn at Tivoli for Kinfolk

There’s no better way to feel refreshed than turning off, heading out and narrowing your focus on one restful activity.

The world can be so loud these days. Distractions abound, vying for our attention at every turn. It’s no wonder we so often feel fragmented, pulled in countless directions, stressed, tired, uninspired. Shifting our attention to one sole task has become a discipline, particularly when that thing we want to draw ourselves to is rest. Given how rarely people seem to honestly disconnect these days, we’re starting to consider this ability to carve out respites for ourselves an art form.

This kind of rejuvenation demands the whole self—pouring oneself in till there’s no room for worried thoughts, fear of missing out on anything else or even that nagging desire to somehow share how well you’re relaxing with others. Finding rest is not just a matter of being idle (though needed at times), but rather seeking out those activities that feed the self, the soul and the mind. Here are a few ways we find rest on our weekends—be it Sunday, Monday or Thursday.

+ Take a book to the wild, whether that means your backyard, the ambling woods on the city’s outskirts or Central Park. Being immersed in nature that is bigger than you are clears the mind like nothing else.

+ Make art. Paint. Watercolor. Draw something silly. Collage a birthday card for your mother. Start a project without worrying about the end product. Ugly results can be reserved for kindling or saved for laughing at someday down the road.

+ Get outside and get active—skateboard with your buds, get out your old baseball glove or hit the tennis courts. If you’re not inclined toward the traditional sports, go for a walk in the neighborhood sans cell phone, camera or any of your fancy gizmos and dare yourself to actually take in your surroundings.

+ On a chilly day commit to staying indoors and make a fire. Forget the fire-log and build a bona fide wood-crackling flame. Steep some tea and take up that stack of articles you’ve been meaning to make your way through. If you don’t have a fireplace, fake it with candles for a cozy setting.

+ Give yourself permission to have a completely free-range day. Turn off your phone (or leave it at home!), take a bike ride, get lost in your own city. Stop in a bookshop, take a nap in the park and write a letter to an old friend.

+ Head to the kitchen and bake for the sake of baking—and sharing with your neighbors.