Teaching Students Deliberate Rest: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Abstract

Background

Research finds that leisure is bidirectionally related to wellbeing, but only if people are satisfied with their leisure. Despite this, many students report engaging in passive activities they do not find enjoyable.

Objective

The current study explored college students’ experiences with a class activity designed to help students create and engage in beneficial rest periods.

Method

Forty-two undergraduates participated in an activity where they read about, engaged in, and reflected on a deliberate rest period. Raters coded responses from open-ended questions to explore how students rested and whether they reported changes in mood and shifts in thinking about rest.

Results

All students reported engaging in active rest periods, 81% reported feeling better afterward, and most students reported that it changed how they thought about rest periods.

Conclusion

This proof-of-concept study finds initial support that the activity can encourage engagement in more active forms of rest that can benefit student mood and attitudes.

Teaching Implications

Instructors can use the current activity to teach students how to design higher-quality rest periods—possibly changing attitudes toward rest in the process.