Play, Rest & Recharge: How fun+Rest Heals Burnout
I’ll always remember the moment it hit me: Two years ago I was doing research on burn out, learning that is was not just being tired, but emotionally depleted and creatively blank. The more I learned though, the more I realized I was actually burned out! I was honestly shocked. I was out here thinking I was doing all the right things but then as I sat there in my living room, reading through a burnout workbook I had bought, I realized I was deep in the thick of it. I checked 8 out of 10 boxes evaluating levels of burnout. One of the symptoms that really jumped out at me was that creative pursuits I used to love, like making bread, taking photos and knitting, no longer held any joy for me (classic sign of burnout is that things you once loved doing feel like chores). Signs of burnout also include:
Constant exhaustion
Loss of creativity
Irritability & stress
Feeling disconnected
Trouble sleeping
I realized that I had to shift from my workaholic mindset to one of fun and rest which are a dynamic healing duo. I love my job but I’ve realized over the years that it can suck me in and I can work way to much, leaving other pursuits I find joyful on the back burner. This is not uncommon for many of us especially entrepreneurs who have to set their own limits and when you love what you do, I believe you can be at higher risk of burnout without even realizing it, like me! Through my research, I began to see joy and rest not as luxuries, but as foundational to recovering from burnout and nurturing creativity. I became fascinated by the science around burnout and like the nerd that I am, I dove deep into learning what burnout truly is and how to avoid it. It took me over a year to find a new sense of balance and here is what I learned along the way
Fun is not frivolous-it’s essential.
“Play is fun, but its ‘purpose’ is serious stuff.” In our grown-up lives, we often push aside play—but research shows that play facilitates divergent thinking, the ability to see multiple solutions and think creatively. Big Think I learned this when I was a Montessori preschool teacher. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician that realized that play was essential to children’s learning. She discovered this after many decades of observing children and ended up creating an entire schooling system around her realizations about play. Her discoveries are transferable to adults. Play and it’s varied benefits don’t end when we grow up, in fact, I would argue that as adults we need play more than ever to combat the incredible stress of adulting! When we are engaging in play—whether it’s creative art, playful roles, games, or movement—it activates the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a restful mode that encourages spontaneous, imaginative thinking. NeurobaFrontiers Play also boosts dopamine (our brain’s reward chemical), endorphins, and promotes neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to forge new pathways and adapt. Play lightens us and in doing so it offers perspective, dissolves worry, and unlocks creativity—“it restores our optimism. It changes our perspective, stimulating creativity,” writes Marianne St. Clair. creativity-portal.com Decades of research affirm that free play fosters mental flexibility, stress reduction, and emotional resilience well into adulthood. Scientific American+1 Now I routinely plan for fun in my life and while scheduling my fun felt counterintuitive at first, it led to more spontaneous bouts of fun as I added it to my schedule. Now, when I have a client cancel, I’m not frustrated because I see it as an extra opportunity to throw some fun in to my day. I like to ask my clients to start a fun list on their phone that they can look at whenever they have free time so they can easily access ideas that will help them insert more fun into their lives. It can anything from playing with their dog to riding a rollercoaster. It important to create a list that has easy to access activities and some bigger activities to work towards (daily stress releiving activitiesv vs. core memory making). I refer to my list often if I feel like I’m stuck on what to do and it always gets me moving toward fun!
When Burnout Burns Out Creativity
Burnout exhausts us physically, mentally, and creatively. Rest is not idle—it’s active healing. When we let the mind wander, we shift into the default mode network (DMN). That’s where creative insight surfaces. At Google, programs like Search Inside Yourself—a mindfulness-based approach—help engineers move from stress into restful clarity and creativity. The results? Engineers reported reduced stress, improved emotional intelligence, and—most importantly—an increase in creative problem-solving. By weaving restful pauses with lighthearted practices, they unlocked innovation in a high-pressure workplace. Even in corporate, high-stakes settings, rest plus play equals better creativity.WIRED
The power of sleep is being studied now more than ever as we realize more and more it’s importance to our health. Studies of sleep show that eight hours of sleep doubles the chance of gaining insight into hidden patterns; even the brief pre-sleep state (N1 sleep) can spark creative breakthroughs. When I learned this the first thing I thought was, “Great! More naps!” but as I'm often only going to nap if I’m sick I’ve found that short 30 minute hypnosis sessions are my best way to access the pre-sleep state. I’ve found incredible online hypnosis sessions on Spotify. I especially love the The Hypnotist Podcast by Adam Cox. It’s not just daily sleep that’s important. Longer periods of unstructured rest—like vacations—promote detachment, relaxation, autonomy, meaning, and affiliation, providing fertile ground for creative “incubation.” Relaxation increases brain alpha wave activity, linked with original thinking. Frontiers
Fun is an antidote to burnout as well. In one reflection, people coping with pandemic stress found relief by hosting fashion shows, playing nostalgic video games, jumping on trampolines—even the simplest playful actions relieved stress and lifted mood. WIRED The beautiful thing about it is that is can be simple. It also does not have to take up a lot of time! It can be 5 minutes playing with your pet or 10 minutes in your garden. Similarly, engaging in hobbies—leisure activities pursued simply for joy (not for money or some sense of obligation)—reduces fatigue, lowers blood pressure and cortisol, and boosts well-being and motivation. Verywell Mind
Burnout siloes us. Play re-connects. Whether it's board games, shared art, or music, playful activities strengthen empathy, trust, and social bonding—all key to emotional healing. MindfulSparkFrontiers Plus, collaborative creative programs like the CORAL arts initiative have dramatically reduced burnout, anxiety, and depression—especially when paired with community and collective making. The CORAL (Creating Opportunities for Resilience and Artistic Learning) program was designed to support people experiencing burnout, depression, or compassion fatigue. Participants engaged in collaborative art projects, playful group improvisation, and intentional rest periods. Within weeks, participants reported significant drops in stress, anxiety, and burnout scores and many also described feeling “alive again” creatively and emotionally, after years of feeling flat. It shows that shared play and creativity—paired with rest—build community healing and resilience.TIME
Why Fun + Rest Work Better Together
Positive emotions from joy, play, and rest broaden our thinking and help us build lasting psychological strength (curiosity, resilience). Our brains are always looking for connections and patterns. When we create patterns that cause stress and burnout, these nueral pathways with continue to fire so we have to pivot so we can change the way our neurons fire. This is called the broaden-and-build theory. The broaden-and-build theory in positive psychology suggests that positive emotions (such as happiness, and perhaps interest and anticipation) broaden one's awareness and encourage novel, exploratory thoughts and actions. Over time, this broadened behavioral repertoire builds useful skills and psychological resources. The theory was developed by Barbara Fredrickson around 1998. Wikipedia
We can enhance fun and rest via experiences in nature. Nature offers soothing "soft fascination"—like leaves rustling or water flowing—that restores attention, reduces stress, and encourages restful creativity. Pairing natural play with restful presence resets cognitive function and nurtures creative renewal. Deepening positive feelings through savoring—fully noticing and appreciating playful moments—strengthens emotional resilience and enhances creative problem-solving. Wikipedia This is vital whether you work a corporate desk job or are a full time landscaper working outdoors. We need unstructured time away from work and responsibility and you can double the benefits when you get out into nature to find rest and play.
Real-Life Ideas for Play + Rest That Heal
Here’s how to weave fun and rest into your life softly, soulfully, and sustainably:
Micro-Play Moments
Doodle for 5 minutes; build with LEGO; dance in the kitchen.
These moments are about pleasure over performance.
Nature & Rest Rituals
Gentle 10 minute walks outdoors without distraction (no phone!)
Note how your mind wanders—and let it flow.
Creative Import Breaks
Step away from work for 15 minutes to sketch, improvise sounds, or color for joy.
Take time away from screens.
Do-Nothing Rest
Meditate, nap briefly (30 minutes or less), or simply lie down and notice your breath.
Allow the body and mind to be at ease.
Play & Rest Together
Bring playful elements into restful spaces: listening to a silly podcast while lounging, or gentle stretches with funny music.
Silliness and rest=joy.
Habits of Shared Joy
Host a playful ritual: board game nights, collaborative art days, picnics or dance sessions with friends.
Hoola hoops, costume themes and slime encouraged.
Gentle Internal Mantra: "Resting isn’t laziness—it’s an active practice in healing and creative reconnection."
Journal your own ideas!
Journaling Prompt for Play: “What activities used to make me laugh or lose track of time as a child? How can I bring a version of that into my life today?”
Journaling Prompt for Rest: “What story do I tell myself about rest? Do I see it as indulgent, or healing? How might I reframe it as essential medicine?”
Reflection: After one week of experimenting with a daily play or rest ritual, write down how your mood, energy, and creativity shift.
Embrace Play & Rest as Sacred Renewal
In a world that celebrates hustle, you are healing when you laugh, unplug, wander, or rest—without guilt, with intention. Fun isn’t frivolous. Rest isn’t lazy. Together, they are powerful tools to recover burnout, cultivate creativity, and live with soulful energy.