It’s the end of summer and you’ve been working hard, really hard, since the start of the year. For your contributions, you’ve earned the day off, literally. As you celebrate Labor Day, remember to take some real time for yourself, to play or to do nothing. This is your day to slow down, to just be.
Related: 3 Signs You Need to Unwind
So here’s to you! Kick up your feet, put your to-do list on hold and get ready to take it easy with these 19 insightful quotes.
1. “He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul’s estate.” —Henry David Thoreau
2. “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
3. “There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” —Alan Cohen
4. “I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.” —Oprah Winfrey
5. “Rest until you feel like playing, then play until you feel like resting, period. Never do anything else.” —Martha Beck
6. “It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” —Philip Green
7. “Stop a minute, right where you are. Relax your shoulders, shake your head and spine like a dog shaking off cold water. Tell that imperious voice in your head to be still.” —Barbara Kingsolver
8. “The human race should just slow down and think about what it is doing.” —Michael Palin
9. “Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast—you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” —Eddie Cantor
10. “We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
11. “Work, love and play are the great balance wheels of man’s being.” —Orison Swett Marden
12. “Sometimes you need to press pause to let everything sink in.” —Sebastian Vettel
13. “Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.” —Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
14. “It’s really important to have balance, spend some time in nature, go to a few parties, enjoy my friends and really chill out.” —Joakim Noah
15. “You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.” ―Heather Schuck, The Working Mom Manifesto
16. “Imagine working 20 percent smarter instead of 20 percent longer…. Work-life balance and startup success at any stage aren’t mutually exclusive. There are enough hours in the day to be effective and present.” —David Cummings
17. “It’s up to us as individuals to take control and responsibility for the types of lives that we want to lead. If you don’t design your life, then someone else may just design it for you, and you may not like their idea of balance.” —Nigel Marsh
18. “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
19. “It’s important to have balance in your life between work and play.” —Bobby Flay
Related: 3 Simple Ways to Slow Down in Life
