9 celebrities on rest, relaxation and the importance of switching off

X celebrity quotes on rest, relaxation and the importance of switching off

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9 celebrities on rest, relaxation and the importance of switching off

By Amy Beecham

2 years ago

3 min read

From Oprah to Michelle Obama, here’s the best celebrity advice on how to prioritise rest and relaxation.


Put your hand up if, at least once in the past week, you’ve thought to yourself: I really need more rest. While true rest can feel hard to come by, it’s often found in the small routines we create for ourselves: time blocking, creative procrastination and setting firm boundaries around work.

The same goes for our favourite celebrities. From Dakota Johnson’s non-negotiable 10 hours of sleep to Emilia Clarke’s restful bathtime routine, here are nine times they got real about the importance of switching off. 


Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow on the importance of sleep

“For me, sleep is a major thing,” Paltrow said in a Sirius XM radio interview back in 2016. “I don’t always get it, and when I don’t, I look like I’ve been hit by a truck,” she shared. 


jennifer aniston

Jennifer Aniston on switching off your phone

In a Thrive Global interview, the Friends actor revealed the importance of resisting technology when it comes to rest.

 “My one key tip,” she said, “is to sleep with my phone at least five feet away from me. That’s helped me tremendously. And I also do a quick meditation before I get into bed, even if it’s just for five minutes. There are also some yoga poses that I’ve found to be quite helpful in relaxing my mind, even if it’s just a simple downward dog and some stretching. But the biggest thing is the electronics shutdown, ideally an hour before I turn off the lights. It’s really a big deal.”


Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama on giving yourself a break

“Sometimes I give myself a break. So I will retreat a moment from the fray, just to breathe,” the former first lady told Women’s Health in 2012.


Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke on the healing power of baths

“Bathtime is a ritual! You’ve got to get the right temperature, you must have good bath salts or Epsom salts and dissolve them properly, and you need bath oils to get some scents going. I don’t do bubble bath – it makes me feel too much like a kid. I have to soak for at least half an hour. If I had time I could be in that bath for three hours, although me having three hours to take a bath is like finding a leprechaun at the end of the rainbow,” Clarke told Violet Grey.


beyonce celebrity nail art inspiration

Beyoncé on self-care not being selfish

“We have to care about our bodies and what we put in them. Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health – take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish. The world will see you the way you see you and treat you the way you treat yourself,” Beyoncé told Elle in 2016.


Miranda Kerr on a good night’s rest

Miranda Kerr on a good night’s rest

“I put on the Sleep Cycle app, I turn my phone on airplane mode,” Kerr told Vogue of her recipe for a good night’s sleep. “The app tells me my average time in bed is seven hours. I’d really like to have eight hours, but if I get that, it’s like hallelujah! There’s always so much to do but it’s very important to get enough rest.”


Viola Davis

Viola Davis on taking care of yourself

“You know what? Especially with women, we are usually the caretakers of everyone except for ourselves. If I don’t take care of myself and I’m taking care of my daughter or my husband or whatever – I’m running on fumes. I have nothing left to give. Nothing. But when I take the time to take care of myself, to go to the doctor, go to a spa, get a deep-tissue massage, get adjusted by chiropractor … I feel like I can face life with a renewed vigour and renewed passion,” Davis told Refinery 29 in 2017.


Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson on getting 10 hours of rest

“Sleep is my number one priority in life,” the actor told The Wall Street Journal in a now-viral interview. “I’m not functional if I get less than 10. I can easily go 14 hours.”


PayGapOprah

Oprah Winfrey on taking time to ‘be’

“I always give myself Sundays as a spiritual base of renewal – a day when I do absolutely nothing. I sit in my jammies or take a walk, and I allow myself time to BE – capital B-E – with myself,” Winfrey wrote in O. Sage advice, indeed.


Images: Getty

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