The art of doing nothing: how to rest during your holidays in Ibiza

In this rushed world, doing absolutely nothing is virtually a luxury. Ibiza encourages you to let go of your timetables and expectations and to rediscover what true rest is really about. No plans, no hurry, no expectations to meet. Because often the best way to make the most of your holidays is to just let them happen.

Stepping away from the culture of always being busy and turning free time into another chance for production, holidays can be the ideal space for a conscious pause. Different studies in the area of psychology of wellbeing —like those published by the American Psychological Association— show that true rest, especially if it involves allowing your mind to switch off, improves your mood, reduces stress and ensures a deeper recovery. It’s not only a matter of changing scenes, it’s also about changing your pace, setting aside everything that draws your mind back to work and that stops you from consciously being in the present.

Why is doing nothing good for you?

The Dutch concept 'niksen' proposes something easy but transformative: allow the mind to drift without a productive goal. This ability to switch off and wind down used to be normal in all societies until the appearance of social media and hyper-productivity. Going back to that healthy custom helps reduce your mental overload and gives way to introspection and creativity. It’s in those apparently empty moments when you get new ideas, solutions and a clearer sense of inner balance by encouraging reflexion.

Benefits of chill holidays without preset plans

Setting aside the rushed pace of your everyday life to leave behind demands and tasks that drain us is key if you want to rest and recover. What happens when we start to do nothing?

• You lower stress levels and improve your mood as seen in the research divulged by the World Health Organization, that links a good rest with better mental health and a lower risk of exhaustion.
• It increases mental clarity by reducing the anticipation of the next task or demand and self-judgement.
• You connect with the present consciously

Picture: Ricardus / Pexels

How to practice the art of doing nothing in Ibiza

Enjoying conscious holidays without demands is so simple and so rewarding. We could say that all you have to do is “let go”, but let’s be a more specific.

Change the mode, not the mood
It’s not about giving everything up, it’s about opening spaces without expectations. Waking up without an alarm, having breakfast at leisure, choosing a cove depending on the wind or deciding on the spot if your day requires rest or action. Improvisation becomes your compass.

A proper digital detox
Silencing your phone notifications is a small but impactful action. The absence of digital stimulation provides deeper rest and fuller attention. Allow yourself to be off grid for a few hours: the world will keep turning. Or even better: Uninstall social media apps during the holidays and recover all that time wasted without realising!

Rediscover the pleasure of chilling
Sitting on Hostal La Torre’s terrace gazing at the sea while you wait for the sunset, closing your eyes and listening to the waves on a beach, watching people around you and imagining stories about them, improvising drawings on the sand, leaving your mobile phone behind in your hotel room and taking a book instead...

Find a peaceful, relaxing spot
It’s not hard to find quiet spots to connect with natural stimuli, like mostly empty rocky coves (Cala Codolar, Ses Boques, Cala Xuclar, Es Xarcu...) and other spots you’ll find as you walk along the coast. You can also benefit from the mental peace one gains in the woods and countryside, following tracks across Ibiza that are perfect for springtime.

Choose activities that don’t require a mental effort
Go for a stroll, observe your surroundings, welcome boredom (which is so necessary and healthy), start and end the day with a yoga session that doesn’t require planning, relax in a private spa (like at Las Mimosas Ibiza hotel), sit comfortably in silence in conversations without reaching out for your mobile... And above all, don't feel guilty for not doing anything..

Picture @ Nico Fdez. Marí / La Torre

Book your hotel in Ibiza to truly wind down

Hostal La Torre believes that Ibiza is enjoyed without hurry, just letting go and going back to the unhurried summer pace from the good old days. Because Ibiza is more Ibiza when there are no set plans, but rather presence inside and out. Practice the art of doing nothing, let the island surprise you, open doors for you and help you flow. Book now your room at Hostal La Torre if you want to do nothing gazing at the sea, or at Las Mimosas Ibiza if you want to do nothing by the pool or at Casa Maca Casa Maca if you want to do nothing in a countryside boutique hotel.

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