Science Says "Just Lie Down"

You don’t need to be weeping in the stationery cupboard or halfway to Tuscany to deserve a rest.

It isn’t a prize. You don’t need to earn it by doing enough or being good at relaxing. You just choose it – anytime, anywhere.

A sofa.
A towel on the bedroom floor.
A yoga mat you haven’t unrolled since March.

Rest isn’t doing nothing. It’s letting go – for real.

When you lie down and close your eyes, something subtle but important happens. Your body stops bracing. Your parasympathetic nervous system – the one responsible for rest and recovery – gets the green light. Heart rate slows. Cortisol dips. Your mind un-clenches.

Now add an eye pillow – and that shift gets even deeper.

Gentle pressure around the eyes has been shown to trigger a calming response (it’s called the oculocardiac reflex, if you fancy sounding clever about it). It’s your body’s way of saying: we’re safe now.

Add the scent of organic lavender and the weight of wheat, and you’re stacking rest signals – quietly, naturally, without needing to do anything.

So if someone walks in and finds you lying on the floor with a pillow on your face?

Just tell them you're following medical protocol.