Re-Creation, Not Just Vacation: A Brief Episode as Wendy Recharges

In this very brief episode, Dr. Wendy Bazilian shares a personal reflection on why true rest and recreation are not luxuries—they're essential parts of health. As she takes a short break to reconnect with family, nature, and herself, she offers thoughtful reminders about the creative, healing power of play, presence, and pausing.

Whether you’re already taking time off or planning your next moment of rest, recreation or vacation, this episode invites you to reframe “rest” as a necessary rhythm of wellbeing.

Featuring a quote from poet David Whyte and wisdom from Wendy’s 6-year-old daughter, this heartfelt message is a gentle nudge to explore, recharge, and remember what truly matters.

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
I like to explore because
it gives you new ideas
on how to be yourself
and it helps you.
We experience 1,000 waking
minutes on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
you're listening to 1,000
Waking Minutes.
I can't wait to connect

(00:22):
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
I'm saying yes to better
days, yes.

(00:43):
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Hello, it's Wendy Bazilian, your
host on 1,000 Waking
Minutes, and this week
as
I'm heading on a little
holiday and stepping away to

(01:04):
spend some much-needed time
with my family.
I didn't want to go
completely silent, so I decided
to record here a couple
of minutes to share.
I always say that health
isn't just about nutrition and
movement.
It's also about rhythm, and
right now my rhythm is
calling for a little pause
for some recreation.

(01:25):
Now, we often say that
we're taking a break or
going on vacation.
Abroad, they call it a
holiday, which I kind of
love.
Personally, I really like to
think of it as recreation
because that word says so
much when you really think
about it.
Sure, it's a break in
one sense, a pause from

(01:46):
deadlines, the housework, my inbox,
and that constant mental load
of everyday life.
It's a mental break in
one sense, but it's not
a break from the mind
itself.
It's just a different way
to engage it.
You're still thinking, sensing, noticing,
and it's just with a
little more space and more

(02:07):
ease.
It's less about checking the
boxes on your to-do
list and more about checking
in with yourself, your people,
and your surroundings.
Recreation, think about the word,
literally, re-creation, and it's
a part, a vital part

(02:27):
of being well.
Whether it's a long walk,
extended time to just daydream,
enjoy something that gives you
the giggles or downright belly
laughs, or maybe take a
nap in the outdoors, these
are the moments how we
refill our spiritual and our
physical tanks.

(02:48):
Holidays or real recreation helps
us return to our work,
our relationships, even our own
thoughts with more clarity and
more energy.
So I'm disconnecting, really, so
I can actually better reconnect
with my daughter and family,
with nature, with quiet, and

(03:10):
with myself.
And while this is a
short hello today, I hope
it can also be a
message or perhaps simply a
reminder that we can all
benefit from this and that
recreation and rest aren't just
luxuries.
They're part of what it
means to be well.
Rest isn't a reward for
productivity.
It's what makes real productivity

(03:32):
possible.
So as I take a
bit of a mental break,
that doesn't mean I'll be
lounging the whole time, though
that does sound nice for
a little bit.
And a mental break isn't
just about our emotional health
or my emotional health, but
it's about tapping other parts
of our mental spaces too.
Creativity, registering new sounds and

(03:52):
new tastes, creating new memories,
and allowing time to reflect
on the many things that
have occurred in recent months
and occasions, solidifying memories, since
it does seem like we're
always moving at such a
quick pace at times.
I'm looking forward to eating
foods that are nourishing and
fun and new, moving my

(04:12):
body in ways that feel
joyful, and getting in the
water, which is calling me,
perhaps all of us, right
now.
And I'll be leaning into
health through self-care and
play, real play, playing cards,
games we make up, silly
stories we tell, and exploring
without a schedule.

(04:34):
So back to the idea
of recreation and rest.
It's a vital part of
overall well-being.
I was thinking about a
line from the poet and
philosopher David Whyte, who was
also actually a personal friend
of a dear friend of
ours who passed just one
year ago.
In his book, Consolations, David
Whyte writes, in his chapter

(04:56):
on rest, and I quote,
"Rest is the conversation between
what we love to do
and how we love to
be," end quote.
That one line says so
much.
Rest isn't passive.
It's deeply creative.
It's how we reconnect to
the why behind what we

(05:16):
do, whether that's our work,
our parenting, or just how
we show up for others
and for ourselves.
And honestly, some of the
best reminders come from my
daughter.
She's now six, and she
teaches me daily about the
value of play and presence.
When we were talking about
our upcoming trip, we talked

(05:38):
about having new spaces to
play and explore, and here's
what she said.
"You know what's important about
play, Mama, is that it
helps you learn and grow
and just be yourself."
Isn't that poetic and so
true and so cute?

(05:58):
It helps not just children,
but us.
Helps us learn and grow
and be and find ourselves.
Another thing that she said,
"I like to explore because
it gives you new ideas
on how to be yourself,
and it helps you."
I mean, so, so good.

(06:18):
That's in her words, in
her voice.
It's kind of amazing what
we inherently know before we're
sometimes taught to forget.
So maybe this is your
reminder, too, to step away
from the scroll, the noise,
the constant doing, even just
for a moment, to play
and to explore.

(06:38):
And in the meantime, I'm
dreaming up some fresh ideas
I'm excited to share with
you soon.
But for now, I'm off
the mic, barefoot in the
grass, listening to what my
body and the world around
me have to say.
Thanks for being here.
Remember to take in some
daily moments, some weekly moments
to rest and recreate, too.

(07:00):
Thank you for sharing a
few of your waking minutes
with me today.
And until soon, be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriela Escalante in particular, to

(07:22):
the ultra talented Beza for
my theme music, my lifelong
friend and artist, Pearl Preis
Photography and Design, to Danielle
Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,
and of course, my family
and everyone working tirelessly behind
the scenes and to you,
our valued listeners.
I so appreciate your support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,

(07:43):
please consider leaving a comment,
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(08:03):
Your support helps us grow
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Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each day.

(08:38):
I'm saying yes to better days, yes I'm on my way. Yes, it's gonna be okay, yeah.