The United States government recognizes 11 national holidays we’re all familiar with. New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July… they’re widely accepted and an opportunity to acknowledge important events.

National Comfy Day, despite its name, celebrated February 20, isn’t one of them. Neither is Tug of War Day on February 19, or National Pancake Day on February 21. The three latter, really, are inventions, but they’re ones that individuals and even some companies can get behind.

Nothing beats a day of celebration — except 365 of them: That’s the mission at National Today, the organization that put National Comfy Day on the map (or on the calendar, rather). An employee there, Amy Monette, agrees, saying, “I think people are looking for an excuse just to have some fun.”

What is National Comfy Day?

The concept is silly, sure, but National Comfy Day, specifically may be beneficial for those of us who have a hard time slowing down.

National Today says to celebrate National Comfy Day, you’re “granted permission to get as comfortable as you please! This means you get to wear comfy clothes, be a complete mess, eat comfort food, and embark on any activity that allows you to be cozy and lazy. All you have to do is find your favorite spot in your abode and relax for the next 24 hours.”

The benefits of relaxing on National Comfy Day

To relax means something different to everybody. “It can mean just sitting to stare out at nothing, and just being in the moment, or it can mean doing something that’s just for you,” says Marny Lishman, a psychologist. “You’re giving your brain and body a chance to restore and recharge, switching on the relaxation response in your nervous system.”

Benefits aside, to do nothing may feel like a foreign concept. Literally, nothing? Lishman says at best, “it feels silly to relax when there’s a mile-long list waiting for your attention; at worst, you might beat yourself up about being lazy and wasting time.”

It’s why the holiday, for me, is especially appealing. You know the saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them?” If I see others celebrating National Comfy Day, relaxing, I’m more likely to allow myself to celebrate, too. And there’s real incentive in that.

Lishman explains, “If you’re doing too much of anything, it means you’re not balancing out the rest of your life, and you end up getting frazzled. If you make some spare time, rest more, and have some social time, you end up being more productive.” 

Give yourself permission to do nothing on National Comfy Day

So, if it helps, in the name of productivity, consider whether National Comfy Day could actually be worth celebrating for you. For the day, for an hour or two, rest, relax, and reset. Your to-do list can wait until tomorrow.