It’s one of the few times when things slow down—and that makes it a good moment to pause, check in, and try to make sense of where you are right now.
Holy Week in the Philippines has always been a long break, but these days it’s less about where you’re going and more about how you’re using the pause.
For a lot of us, this week still holds cultural weight. Most of us grew up with it: no meat on Fridays, muted TV, church with family. Now that we’re older, we may not always follow every rule down to the bone, but we still feel the shift. Everything slows down, and for once, you’re not expected to be anywhere.
Taking time off, staying home, or planning a slower week? These small resets don’t take much effort but can still help make you feel better.
Write it down, clear your head
Start with something low-lift: journaling. Not the kind with prompts and stickers, just writing down what’s in your head so you don’t carry it around all week. If you don’t know where to start, try this: what’s been taking up space lately, and what can you let go of?
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Do Visita Iglesia but your way
You can also try your own version of Visita Iglesia. If you’re not up for visiting seven churches, pick seven places that mean something to you, could be your old school, a quiet park, a street you used to walk. Or do it digitally. Scroll through seven photos that bring up something worth remembering. The idea is the same: pause, reflect, be present.
Eat slower, eat greener
A lot of people still give up meat during Holy Week, but beyond that, this week is a good time to just be more mindful of what you eat. Add more greens to your plate. Try a veggie-based meal. Cook something simple and comforting, like monggo, laing, or tortang talong.
Some people follow the Daniel’s Fast, which is mostly whole foods, no meat, no sugar. You don’t have to do the full thing but the idea behind it which is eating simply to reset your body and mind makes sense.
Finish that book
Now’s also a good time to catch up on reading. That book you’ve been halfway through since January? Finish it. Or start something short that doesn’t feel like a chore. It doesn’t have to be deep or educational. Choose something that stretches your mind or comforts it. Fiction, essays, poetry, scripture, what matters is that it pulls you away from your screen and into a quieter place to hold your attention.
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Binge guilt-free
Let’s be real: some of the most restful moments of Holy Week happen under a blanket, watching something that makes you feel something (or absolutely nothing). And that’s okay.
Stream a comfort show. Rewatch an old favorite. Go through three seasons of that series you’ve been putting off. Holy Week reflection doesn’t have to mean silence all day. Rest takes many forms and sometimes, it looks like six hours of Reply 1988 with snacks on your chest.
Just be intentional about it. Don’t scroll while you watch. Let yourself disappear into the story.
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Spend time with people who fill your cup
A lot of families still reunite during Holy Week especially if someone’s province-bound. But even if you’re not going anywhere, this is a rare chance to be with people without a schedule breathing down your neck.
Cook with your parents. Have coffee with your sibling. Visit a cousin you haven’t seen in months. Time with family doesn’t have to be a big reunion. Even just being in the same room, sharing silence or snacks, is a kind of return.
And if family’s complicated, spend time with your chosen people. The ones you feel safe around. The ones you can be quiet with.
Clean to clear
You don’t need to overhaul your space. Just pick one drawer. One bag. One dusty shelf. Clean it like a quiet ritual. Like a small reset you can control.
Many Filipino households already clean during Holy Week as it’s part tradition. This version is more personal. You’re not cleaning to impress anyone. You’re just making space. A breathing room.
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Donate something, even if it’s small
If you have clothes you haven’t worn in a year, let them go. If you have a little extra, send it to someone who needs it or donate your time. Message a community org you support. Share a fundraiser. Help a neighbor. A small act of kindness still counts.
Lastly, unplug
You don’t have to do a dramatic digital detox. Just try putting your phone down for a few hours. Hide the apps. Let the group chats wait. See what it feels like to be bored, unproductive, unreachable. That silence might be exactly what your brain needs.
None of this has to be intense. Holy Week doesn’t need to be a full reset. But it’s one of the few times that things slows down and that makes it a good moment to pause, check in, and do things that make sense for where you are right now.
And that is enough.
