Catch up with any friend, and the phrase will inevitably come up: “I’ve just been so busy!” In the chaos of today, our lives can feel overbooked, our schedules jam-packed, and our sleep ever-shrinking. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In Well+Good’s Rest Issue, we’re inviting you to step back, slow down, and examine what it means to find downtime—and actually enjoy it.

Relaxation can be a boon for our mental, physical, and emotional health; the studies prove it, and you already know it. But we also understand that life’s countless obligations don’t exactly account for rest. So to help bridge that gap, we’re taking a look at ways you can set small rest goals, avoid burnout, and even use micro-meditations to find a bit of calm in your day. 

Because we’ll say it again: You deserve a break. Now here’s how to get one.