Famous Relax Quotes in English with Images

Here’s a collection of famous quotes about relaxation, along with their meanings and examples of how they can apply in different situations:


1. "Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax." — Mark Black

  • Meaning: Taking a break can actually be the most efficient way to recharge and ultimately accomplish more, as constant work without rest often leads to burnout.

  • Example: A student studying non-stop for an exam might actually perform better by taking breaks to rest and refresh their mind, instead of pushing through exhaustion.


2. "Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." — Chinese Proverb

  • Meaning: Stress often comes from trying to live up to external expectations, while true relaxation is found in being authentic and at ease with oneself.

  • Example: If someone constantly tries to impress others by pretending to be someone they're not, they may feel tense. Letting go of these pretenses and being themselves can bring peace and relaxation.


3. "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." — Anne Lamott

  • Meaning: Like machines that need to be reset occasionally, people also need to take a break to recharge and return with renewed energy.

  • Example: If someone feels overwhelmed at work, even a short walk outside can help clear their mind and give them the energy to tackle tasks with a fresh perspective.


4. "It’s a good idea always to do something relaxing before making an important decision in your life." — Paulo Coelho

  • Meaning: Relaxing before making big decisions can help us approach them with a clear and calm mind, leading to better outcomes.

  • Example: Before deciding whether to accept a new job, someone might meditate or take a walk to clear their mind, helping them feel more grounded and confident in their decision.


5. "The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it." — Sydney J. Harris

  • Meaning: When life feels overwhelming, that’s actually the best time to step back and take a break.

  • Example: If a project deadline is looming, taking a short break to relax might feel counterintuitive, but it can actually prevent burnout and lead to more effective work when they return.


6. "Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive." — Elbert Hubbard

  • Meaning: Life should be enjoyed and not treated as an endless series of stressful challenges. Sometimes we need to relax and let go of unnecessary seriousness.

  • Example: A person who is overly stressed about achieving perfection in everything might find more happiness and relaxation by accepting imperfection and taking life a bit more lightly.


7. "Rest and be thankful." — William Wordsworth

  • Meaning: Taking time to rest and appreciate what we have brings both relaxation and a sense of peace.

  • Example: After completing a major task or project, pausing to rest and reflect on the effort and results can create a deeper sense of accomplishment and relaxation than jumping straight into the next task.


8. "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." — Ovid

  • Meaning: Like a field that needs time to rejuvenate to produce a good yield, people also need rest to be productive and creative.

  • Example: An artist experiencing creative burnout might benefit from stepping away for a while, allowing their mind to refresh so they can return with renewed inspiration and ideas.


9. "Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself." — Hermann Hesse

  • Meaning: No matter how hectic life gets, there’s always a place of peace and relaxation within ourselves that we can access by calming our minds.

  • Example: During a stressful day, taking a few moments for deep breathing or meditation can help someone reconnect with their inner peace and feel more relaxed.


10. "A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety." — Aesop

  • Meaning: Simple pleasures enjoyed in peace are often more fulfilling than grand experiences that come with stress or tension.

  • Example: Eating a quiet meal at home with loved ones can be more relaxing and enjoyable than an extravagant dinner that involves stress, loud environments, or time pressure.


11. "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • Meaning: Nature operates at its own pace, without rushing, teaching us that relaxation often comes with patience and not rushing things.

  • Example: Instead of stressing about immediate results from a new workout routine, taking a patient approach and enjoying the process can lead to more sustainable progress and peace of mind.


12. "If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit." — Banksy

  • Meaning: Taking breaks is essential, but it doesn’t mean giving up; rest helps us recharge and continue moving forward.

  • Example: A writer experiencing a creative block might benefit from taking a short break rather than giving up on their project altogether. This can allow them to return with renewed energy and ideas.


13. "Relax. Nothing is under control." — Adi Da

  • Meaning: Life is inherently unpredictable, and learning to relax even in uncertainty can bring peace.

  • Example: During a chaotic project with unexpected setbacks, a person might remind themselves that not everything can be controlled and try to relax instead of getting frustrated.


14. "You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside." — Wayne Dyer

  • Meaning: While external circumstances may be chaotic, we can still find peace by managing our internal reactions.

  • Example: If a commute becomes stressful due to traffic, practicing deep breathing or listening to relaxing music can help maintain a sense of calm despite the external chaos.


15. "The best cure for the body is a quiet mind." — Napoleon Bonaparte

  • Meaning: Mental relaxation has a powerful effect on physical well-being, as stress and mental tension often lead to physical ailments.

  • Example: After a stressful day, someone might unwind with meditation or a quiet evening routine to help relax both their mind and body, promoting better health overall.


These quotes encourage a balanced approach to life, where relaxation is seen as essential for well-being and productivity, not just an occasional luxury.

He enjoys insisted always on being serious, ad never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.

- Herodotus Quotes

We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking.  We move along the surface of things [but] there are times when we stop. We sit sill. We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory.  We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.

- James Carroll Quotes

To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.

- Jane Austin Quotes

I take it that what all men are really after is some form or perhaps only some formula of peace.

- Joseph Conrad Quotes

Never lose sight of this important truth, that no one can be truly great until he has gained a knowledge of himself, a knowledge which can only be acquired by occasional retirement.

- Johann Georg von Zimmermann Quotes

If you can attain repose and calm, believe that you have seized happiness.

- Julie-Jeanne-Eleonore de Lespinasse Quotes

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non essential.

- Lin Yutang Quotes

Stress is an ignorant state.  It believes that everything is an emergency.  Nothing is that important.

- Natalie Goldberg Quotes

Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, as yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you.  When it’s right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.

- Oprah Winfrey Quotes

Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest.

- Euripides Quote

Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest.

- Relax Quotes by Euripides

Acquire inner peace and a multitude will find their salvation near you. 

- Relax Quotes Catherine de Hueck Doherty

Acquire inner peace and a multitude will find their salvation near you.

- Relax Quotes Catherine de Hueck Doherty Download or Share

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.

- Relax Quotes by Anatole France

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.

- Relax Quotes by Anatole France

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level.

- Relax Quotes by Bertrand Russell

To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level.

- Relax Quotes by Bertrand Russell

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles.

- Relax Quotes by Charlie Chaplin Download or Share

We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for the sap our energies.

- Etty Hillesum Quotes

When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.

- Francois de La Rochefoucauld Quotes

What’s the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile.

- George Asaf Quotes

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

- Ovid Quotes

Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths of inner peace.

- Robert J. Sawyer Quotes

Working in the garden… gives me a profound felling of inner peace.

- Ruth Stout Quotes

Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.

- Satchel Paige Quotes

This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.

- Relax Quotes by Captain J. A. Hadfield

No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you’d be more productive.

- Dr. Joyce Brothers Quote

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Quote

Put duties aside at least an hour before bed and preform soothing, quite activities that will help you relax.

- Dianne Hales Quotes

During [these] periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight.

- Fritjof Capra Quotes