Why Rest Is a Skill Too: Supporting Recovery After Big Events
The holidays, special events, and celebrations can bring excitement, connection, and meaningful memories. They can also bring long days, disrupted routines, sensory overload, and emotional fatigue. After big events, many individuals and families notice increased tiredness, irritability, or difficulty returning to everyday routines.
At New Beginnings Behavior Intervention Services, we believe rest is not a break from progress. Rest is a skill. Learning how to slow down, recover, and regulate after busy experiences is an important part of long-term emotional well-being and independence.
Why Recovery Matters After Busy Events
Big events often involve:
Changes in routine and sleep schedules
Increased social interaction
Loud or crowded environments
New expectations and transitions
Heightened emotional energy
Even when events are positive, they require effort. For individuals receiving behavior support, this effort can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion once the excitement fades. Recovery time allows the nervous system to reset and helps prevent burnout, overwhelm, or escalation.
Rest Is Not Avoidance
Rest does not mean giving up on goals or avoiding challenges. It means recognizing when the body and brain need time to recharge. Teaching individuals that rest is acceptable and necessary builds self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Examples of healthy rest include:
Quiet time in a preferred space
Engaging in calming activities
Reducing demands temporarily
Allowing slower transitions back into routine
Encouraging sleep consistency
These supports help individuals feel safe and grounded as they return to everyday expectations.
Helping Individuals Learn to Recognize the Need for Rest
Part of building independence is learning to listen to internal cues. Families and caregivers can support this by:
Naming signs of fatigue or overwhelm
Modeling rest and self-care
Offering choices between calming activities
Normalizing the need for downtime after busy days
When individuals learn that rest is part of self-care, they gain tools that support them well beyond the holiday season.
Balancing Rest and Routine
While rest is important, structure still provides security. A balanced approach might include:
Keeping core routines consistent
Lowering expectations for non-essential tasks
Gradually reintroducing responsibilities
Using visual schedules to preview quiet time and activity time
This balance helps individuals recover without losing the predictability they rely on.
Rest Supports Emotional Regulation
Rest plays a direct role in emotional regulation. Adequate recovery time can lead to:
Improved patience and focus
Reduced irritability or emotional outbursts
Increased tolerance for transitions
Greater readiness to re-engage socially
Supporting rest helps individuals return to their routines with more confidence and stability.
Moving Forward After the Holidays
The days following major events offer an opportunity to practice listening to the body, honoring emotional needs, and building sustainable routines. By treating rest as a skill rather than a setback, families help individuals develop lifelong strategies for managing stress and maintaining balance.
At New Beginnings, we support individuals and families in finding rhythms that promote growth without burnout. Recovery is part of the process, and rest is one of the tools that makes progress possible.
We’re Here to Support You
If you’d like help creating routines that support regulation, recovery, and long-term success, our team is here to help. Visit our Contact Us page to connect with a Behavior Consultant and learn more about personalized behavior support services.