The road to success is paved with hard work, resilience, learning and dedication, but also with things that seem counterintuitive to success, such as failure and relaxation. Yes, you heard that correctly. Relaxation is one of the key ingredients essential for a successful life.
Our body and brain aren’t built for constant motion. Granting ourselves time to unwind allows us to manage our stress, improve our mood and cut down on all that mental clutter. Relaxation can also manifest in many different ways. It can look like a five-minute break between meetings or cozying up with a good book at the end of the evening. It can also take the form of larger events such as weekend getaways or tropical vacations (the ultimate relaxation oasis).
The “relax” quotes found in this article explore all the avenues we can take in order to find that inner peace and learn to let things go. They help us to see that we not only deserve these moments of tranquility but need them in order to show up even better and to live a more fulfilled life.
Relaxation Quotes for Everyday Moments
The act of relaxation may look and feel like you’re doing close to nothing. But, in reality, you’re doing so much for your mind and body. Relaxation techniques can actually improve your focus, energy, sleep and even boost your immune system or help with pain management. Incorporating practices like mindfulness and self-care into your daily routine can help with relaxation, too. Discover how these relaxing words and phrases can push you further toward that mindset of perpetual tranquility.
- “Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.” —Bryant McGill
- “Open the portals of calmness and you will find the bright sun of joy within yourself.” —Paramhansa Yogananda
- “Give your stress wings and let it fly away.” —Terri Guillemets
- “Relax. Just relax and have fun doing what you’re doing. Don’t worry so much about being results oriented. Just commit yourself to the moment.” —John Goodman
- “Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. Like one of those thinking machines, you feed in your question, sit back and wait.” —William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch
- “Relax. Seriously.” —Ryan Holiday
- “Don’t make things too complicated. Try to relax, enjoy every moment, get used to everything.” —Angelique Kerber
- “To have moments of calm—creative or restful—is a form of deep sustenance for human beings of all ages. Relationships are often built in these pauses, in the incidental moments, when nothing much is going on.” —Kim John Payne, Lisa M. Ross, Simplicity Parenting
- “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” —Ralph Marston
- “It’s a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life.” —Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
- “Medical science has been telling us for years that if we want to live a long, healthy life, we’ve got to chill out and relax a bit.” —Mendhi Audlin, What If It All Goes Right?
Related: 100 Inner Peace Quotes to Be Your Guide Through Difficult Situations
Rest & Relaxation Quotes to Inspire Your Next Vacation
When we hear the word “relaxation,” our minds often drift to “vacation.” Whether it’s on a beach, in the mountains or at home for a staycation, these getaways provide a perfect opportunity to unplug and escape from your day-to-day grind mentally. Slip into that vacation state of mind with the following “time to relax” quotes and use them to inspire your next holiday. Where will you journey to next for rest and rejuvenation?
- “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes—including you.” —Anne Lamott
- “A holiday is an opportunity to journey within. It is also a chance to chill, to relax. It is when I switch on my rest mode.” —Prabhas
- “After a while, just staying alive becomes a full-time job. No wonder we need a vacation.” —Michael Zadoorian, The Leisure Seeker
- “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” —Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
- “If you go dark on vacation, you’ll be ready for the light when you return.” —Brian Scudamore
- “After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working.” —Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
- “Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.” —Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I’d Like to Give to You
Related: 75 Joy Quotes That Will Brighten Your Day and Lift Your Spirit
Short Sayings to Remind You to Take Time to Relax
You don’t have to reach a certain milestone or work until you’re completely burnt out before you grant yourself a break. Relaxation is not just a want, but a human need, and something you should never feel guilty for. These short “relax” quotes and affirmations, originally written by SUCCESS® contributors, help us to see that this kind of downtime should not be associated with laziness but with peace and restoration. Write them on a sticky note to ensure that relaxation remains a priority and to remind yourself that you deserve it.
- “Above all else, learn how to relax. Your body and brain will thank you.”
- “You should never feel guilty for allowing yourself time to rest.”
- “Relaxation isn’t just for vacation. It should be built into your weekly, daily, even hourly routine.”
- “Everything will work out just as it’s meant to. Relax and trust.”
- “Relaxation is not something you must earn.”
- “A relaxed mindset can carry you through anything.”
- “Clear your mind, feel the earth under your feet and just breathe.”
- “‘I can’t relax until…’ is a toxic phrase. Reframe your thoughts to ‘I will show up better once I am rested and refreshed.’”
- “Sometimes a break is all you need to finally untie that knot you’ve been wrestling with.”
- “Why not try slowing down for a change?”
Quotes for Remembering to Relax and Enjoy Life
True relaxation is an art form. The following “relax and enjoy” quotes dive into the pure joy that can come from the practice. From listening to music and watching the clouds pass by to gardening and conversing with friends, they recount the simple pleasures that help to soothe us. We can take the time to appreciate these moments of relaxation and be better for it. A few relaxing Sunday quotes and weekend relaxation quotes additionally help us to make the most of these precious days of rest.
- “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” —Lily Tomlin
- “[Gardening is] how I relax. It’s another form of creating and playing with color.” —Oscar de la Renta
- “The ultimate luxury is being able to relax and enjoy your home.” —Jeff Lincoln
- “Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” —L.R. Knost
- “Sometimes I have loved the peacefulness of an ordinary Sunday. It is like standing in a newly planted garden after a warm rain. You can feel the silent and invisible life.” —Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
- “To have faith is like when you trust yourself to the water. You don’t grab hold of the water when you swim; if you go stiff and tight in the water you sink. You have to relax.” —Alan Watts, The Essence of Alan Watts
- “If you want to relax, watch the clouds pass by if you’re laying on the grass, or sit in front of the creek. Just doing nothing and having those still moments is what really rejuvenates the body.” —Miranda Kerr
- “Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport.” —Pope Francis
- “It’s nice when I have days off to go home and relax and literally take the weight off my shoulders and enjoy the simple things.” —Seth Rollins
- “Tea beckons us to enjoy quality time with friends and loved ones, and especially to rediscover the art of relaxed conversation.” —Dorothea Johnson, Tea & Etiquette
Soothing Rest Quotes to Encourage You to Unwind
Sometimes, relaxation is easier said than done. We know that we need to cut the engine and just coast for a while, but we’re often stuck in overdrive. Learn how to ground yourself with these relaxing words. Experts in mindfulness and meditation share their thoughts on the matter—and advice for how to put your mind and body at ease.
- “Ah! There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” —Jane Austen, Emma
- “Touching the Earth is a great way to remove anxiety and come back to yourself. It immediately has a grounding effect on you.” —Amit Ray, Mindfulness: Living in the Moment, Living in the Breath
- “Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is relax.” —Mark Black
- “Peace, love, joy, relaxation. I relax into the flow of life and let life flow through me with ease.” —Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life
- “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” —Eleanor Brownn
- “[Music is] motivational, and just makes you relax.” —Taika Waititi
- “You need to empty your mind and relax each muscle group until you feel like you are going to melt into the floor.” —Kasie West, Lucky in Love
- “People choose to struggle when people don’t want to relax. Sometimes it is not on your side. Relax, calm down. No matter how hard the waves are, you will float on the ocean.” —Kubra Sait
- “We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don’t allow our bodies to heal, and we don’t allow our minds and hearts to heal.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
- “Taking time out each day to relax and renew is essential to living well.” —Judith Hanson Lasater, Relax and Renew
Find Peace and Serenity With Relaxation Quotes
Take a moment and just breathe. Quotes about rest and relaxation remind us that slowing down isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. These gentle words help you unwind, find calm in everyday moments and truly enjoy those slow, serene days spent with family, friends or simply with yourself.
Whether you’re recharging for five minutes or taking a full week to reset, these quotes are here to guide you toward peace. Let them be a gentle nudge to pause, reflect and embrace the beauty of doing a little less and feeling a lot more.
Photo by Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.
