The Best Way to Spend a Duvet Day, by Personality Type
Sometimes, we all need to take a duvet day and not feel guilty about it.
Duvet days are a type of last-minute time off that some employers offer, either as standalone days or as part of a flexible benefits package. The idea is for people to take a day off without having to provide any notice, because they feel they need a self-care day. Instead of pushing yourself to breaking point, you can take a day to rest and recharge.
What do you do on a duvet day? Well, that depends. Some people like to do absolutely nothing. Others prefer to read, plan, paint, dance, chat with a friend or drive their car as far as possible on an empty road! You won't be surprised to hear that your personality has a lot to do with your choices—here's what that looks like, for each of the 16 personality types.
INFJ: Stay in Bed
INFJs love taking an actual duvet day because spending a day in deep introspection is your idea of heaven! Contemplating the meaning of life brings you joy, and where better to do that than in the comfort of your own bed? You could also use this time to meditate, write down your ideas and listen to inspirational music. Other people's problems are likely to weigh heavily on you, so a day spent alone with your thoughts is rejuvenating.
INFP: Hunker Down with Art
INFPs are also introverts who benefit from a literal duvet day and you’re more than happy to do it alone. Having an unplanned day to hunker down and the freedom to explore your creative mind rejuvenates you. Allow yourself to lose track of time in some form of art or poetry. Try writing a song, drawing nature scenes, or creating a simple collage with photos or pictures that are meaningful to you—anything that allows your intuitive nature to flow freely and create!
ENFJ: Retreat With Your Soul Mate
ENFJs want to make everyone happy and you can become exhausted from people pleasing all day. For this reason, you can benefit from retreating with a close, trusted partner. Whether it’s under a duvet or in your living room, you will renew your energy in a happy environment with someone you love and who brings you positivity. The activities you choose for the day are less important than the person you choose to be with. For you, it’s the peace and harmony in that relationship that recharges your battery!
ENFP: Go On a New Adventure
ENFPs are imaginative and thrive on new ideas and adventure, so you may be too restless for an actual duvet day. A better way for you to unwind might be a spontaneous trip to a new destination or taking on a new hobby. You hate feeling stagnant and need the freedom to explore many avenues to do your own thing! So give yourself permission to obey your longing for novel activities, unexplored places and new people. You will feel refreshed after exploring that park across town, or visiting that new museum.
INTJ: Research a New Subject
INTJs have intellectual minds and find relaxation alone learning and exploring subjects of interest. Stay in your slippers and research that new idea that’s been haunting you or read up on a subject that will help you accomplish a goal. You have a mind that demands enrichment with new insights and plans for the future, and you find your energy in those deep, fiery revelations that define you. So take a day to revel in these mental explorations and you’ll be rejuvenated!
INTP: Freely Ponder Novel Ideas
INTPs crave the freedom to let their minds ponder over new possibilities for complex solutions. To fully relax there should be no plans and no intellectual restraints—an inflow of thought comes naturally to you and should not be forced. Your heart’s content lies in lifting any mental boundaries that may keep you from your next new idea. So, turn your devices off, find your comfiest stuffed chair, and take the time you need alone for a mental exploration fest that takes you into the unknown!
ENTJ: Optimize Your Home Routines
ENTJs may be too ambitious for an actual duvet day—when you're this driven, you might find it hard to switch off for a whole day. Even when you're trying hard to relax, there's always that thought in the back of your mind that you should be doing something productive. So why not channel that energy into making something at home work more efficiently? Streamline your closet, make a chore chart, plan a holiday celebration. Whatever task you choose, the act of "doing" will help put your energy into a calm flow.
ENTP: Have a Lively Debate With a Friend
ENTPs have overactive minds and you need a completely unplanned block of time to really settle down. Choose some of your closest friends and spend the day solving the world’s problems—a new intellectual challenge and a good debate might be just what the doctor ordered and can restore your energy! Brainstorming around interesting topics that strike your fancy in the moment will refresh you, and depending on your mood, these discussions can be gregarious or contentious and it doesn’t matter! As long as they are stimulating.
ISTJ: Take a Scheduled Break
ISTJs are most comforted with schedules and hard work, and don’t take much downtime. When it all gets too much, unwind alone in an ordered environment to find calm and quiet for your body and brain. Reading a book or watching a documentary that’s intellectually stimulating to you can be very relaxing, especially if you make it part of your structured, every-day chill time. Feeling in control, even on a break, helps the ISTJ relax.
ISFJ: Make Something for Someone
ISFJs are focused on taking care of the physical needs of others but are drained by socializing. So take some quiet time alone to make something for someone you love. Knit a blanket for a friend or create a photo album for a family member. This fills your heart with joy and helps you relax because you are doing something for others at the same time. Quiet, structured time alone working on a craft will take your mind off any chaos and will help you feel a sense of calm.
ESTJ: Do Something Physical
ESTJs are pragmatic, hard-working people and you don’t “waste” your time with mental meanderings. And we won’t find you just standing around the house because you’re a doer! The best way for you to relax is to plan for physical activities like running, working out or competitive sports. Even a project at home that requires some physical effort, like cleaning out that cluttered closet or washing all the windows can help you feel productive and rejuvenated at the same time.
ESFJ: Indulge Your Hobbies
ESFJs are warm and hospitable, but you rarely relax with people around. You want to be with people almost all the time to be helpful, but you can become exhausted when you aren’t appreciated! So take some time alone and relax with your favorite hobbies at home. If you want, include one or two trusted friends or family members that really see and support you, and don’t need anything from you. Have a day baking, card making, or any craft that brings your heart joy and keeps your hands busy.
ISFP: Find a New Creative Pursuit
ISFPs are folks whose drive to create pushes them toward hands-on activities, and new, creative pursuits will relax you. You are best rejuvenated in an unstructured, peaceful environment where you can indulge your senses with activities like painting or playing a musical instrument. Taking in the beauty surrounding you can calm you, especially if you create it! And being immersed in sensory activities that bring you joy makes you feel fully present, and if you can feel free to be yourself completely, you can do this with a loved one.
ISTP: Build or Fix Something
ISTPs are another type that relaxes by working with their hands, but in a more practical way. Fixing things around the house or engaging in crafts like carpentry, painting your living room or gardening rejuvenates you and helps calm your mind. To unwind, spend time alone working with your hands expecting useful results, and don’t be restricted by rules or social pressure! Get lost in your project and see where it takes you—there’s nothing that brings you a sense of fulfillment like building something while answering to no one.
ESFP: Gather with Friends
ESFPs have a low tolerance for boredom, and you don’t need to go to the party—you are the party! You will drop work in a Texas heartbeat when you’ve had enough, and nothing is more rejuvenating to you than to gather with friends. Which friends do you ask? Doesn’t matter, because everyone is your friend. You have intense energy that needs to be released, and you can do this with sensory experiences like eating delicious food, high energy concerts or racing cars, as long as you do it with your friends!
ESTP: Take a Spontaneous Trip
ESTPs also need sensory experiences to unwind but would like to do it with their favorite people instead of everyone at the party. You need to be active and find fun to relax, and an unstructured, busy adventure-filled day is best. When you are restless, you get your wiggles out in a spontaneous way, like dropping everything and jumping in your car for a road trip with your favorite human. Don’t over-plan your trip, or don’t plan it at all—take it when you need it and leave schedules in the rear-view mirror!
