You heard it here first folks: the holiday season is for resting — fully and unapologetically.
While it’s now culturally acceptable to spend our precious holiday season running around doing errands, catching up on work, or — perish the thought! — trying to get ahead for the New Year. Enough!
If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that rest is important. So are boundaries. The holidays should embrace both. And, with the new Covid variant swarming and people being extra cautious, we’re back to a calmer period. This should make it a bit easier for you to rest.
But if all that doesn’t convince you to actually take some time off, then this should: Simone Biles endorses being cozy, comfy, and putting your mental health first. So, who are you to argue?
Simone Biles is one of the most impressive, decorated athletes in the world. With a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, this record-setting gymnast’s grace and athleticism is downright jaw-dropping. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles was in the news again. But this time it wasn’t for her awe-inspiring twists and turns but for prioritizing her mental health.
Considering her reputation, Simone’s decision came as a shock to many, given her career record. A member of the 2016 Olympic Gymnastic Team or the “Final Five” — alongside Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman — Biles stunned audiences worldwide with her daring routines and flawless execution.
Over the past four years, she has continued to win big while innovating the sport with moves that no other gymnast has attempted before. However, the pressure got to her during the 2020 Games, and she decided to withdraw from some events.
In an Instagram post, Biles said: “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it . . . I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard.”
In the months following, Biles has stood by her decision and has grown even more vocal about the seriousness of mental health. Other athletes have followed suit.
In June, Naomi Osaka refrained from talking to the press at the French Open for her mental wellbeing. After controversy followed her decision, she withdrew from the competition altogether.
Osaka spoke freely and without shame about her mental health struggles, saying: “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018, and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”
These decisions — especially made by prominent Black athletes committed to speaking openly — launched a wave of conversations about the importance of rest, boundaries, and putting yourself first. Now that we once again face an ongoing pandemic that’s forcing us to slow down and rest, these topics feel even more relevant than ever
So, when Simone Biles posted a cozy Christmas morning selfie with her boyfriend Jonathan Owens, we’re reminded that, yes, if even the most physically impressive athletes can take some time off and lounge around in cozy PJs, so can we.
Merry Christmas from Simone
Our loungewear of choice? NAP Loungewear.
NAP Loungewear is at the helm of the sleepwear movement. It provides all the versatile essentials that will keep you cozy at home, while also appropriate to wear for outside excursions.
Born of the pandemic, NAP Loungewear saw the writing on the wall and promised to retain parts of the “new normal” like comfy clothes and a more relaxed mindset.
According to their founder, the brand wanted “to break free from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Take a breather. Relax and immerse in our comfort and aesthetics. It’s a designer brand that represents modernity, simplicity, and fashion.”
When it comes to prioritizing our wellbeing, Simone Biles and NAP Loungewear have a lot in common, so we’re taking notes and naps in spades.
