The 5 leisure languages: how to rest, play and flourish
Leisure was invented by the ancient aristocratic Greeks and partaking in leisure led to the rise of philosophy. Greeks viewed leisure as an enriching time to seek the Truth and understand the self. Leisure means free time i.e. time away from work, duties or obligations. Leisure is freedom to enjoy yourself.
Leisure represents a lifestyle, a mindset and a powerful antidote to cope with the 21st century and its culture of workism, burnout + busyness. The essence of leisure is about cultivating a sense of purpose, injecting fresh energy into your life, increasing your quality of life and redefining your sense of self.
Although you may lean toward one of the 5 leisure languages below, we tap into all of them. The leisure languages are very similar to — and greatly inspired by — the 5 love languages.
Which one is your primary language?
Cerebral
Mind + Creativity
You feel recharged when you exercise your mind by learning something new.
You may nourish yourself by taking up a creative hobby or getting practical and engaging in some life admin.
You thrive with concepts, ideas and abstractions. Reading and writing come naturally to you.
Others may complement your mental prowess and come to you when they need your clever point of view.
You keep your mind stimulated through intellectual pursuits and introspection.
Emotional
Heart + Spirituality
You seek balance in your internal world through spiritual practices, emotional nourishment + deepening self-awareness.
Your emotional intelligence is off the charts and you may be an empath or a highly sensitive person.
You likely identify as an introvert and someone who recharges by spending time alone sifting through your thoughts and feeling your feelings.
Protecting your peace and energy are very important to you as they form the basis of your inner freedom.
You aim to stay deeply anchored into your emotional health and wellbeing.
Passive
Rest + Wander
You feel most relaxed when you can take your mind off of things.
You take the art of “Doing Nothing” to new heights because you understand the importance of your mind wandering freely to replenish your creative reservoirs.
You engage in the hard work of being “lazy” by doing nothing in a purposeful way.
This is how you untangle yourself to be able to think, reflect and decide what’s actually meaningful to you, and how you can be in this world in a way that feels meaningful.
Letting both your mind and body be at rest brings you peace.
Physical
Body + Movement
You are reenergized through movement and activity.
Refocusing on your body pulls you out of your head — which often feels overcrowded — and reconnects you to your inner essence.
You’re well aware that the body keeps the score so you process emotions, thoughts, situations and life through motion.
You use movement, exercise and stretching as a form of healing (through the release of endorphins).
Physical activity helps you reset and realign your body, spirit and mind.
Social
Connection + Community
You feel energized from social connections and interactions.
Sharing memories and special moments with loved ones mean the world to you.
You heal, thrive and love in community. You are for the collective so you are likely a connector in your social groups.
You are a pro at the art of conversation and likely host some epic dinner parties.
For you, the quality of your relationships really does determine the quality of your life.
You make sure to surround yourself with high-quality, high-caliber people.
Now that you have more knowledge on your primary leisure language, how will you implement this information?
If you’re looking for support on how to inject leisure into your daily lifestyle so that it becomes a healthy & lasting habit, I encourage you to book a clarity call to see if you’d benefit from my 3-month life & wellbeing coaching program.
