リフレッシュをする

You treat リフレッシュ as a noun and add をする (to do) to make it a verb. It is incredibly versatile. You can say リフレッシュしたい when you are feeling burnt out. Or you can say リフレッシュになった after a great weekend trip. It fits into almost any sentence structure where you describe your state of mind. Just remember it is about the *feeling* of being renewed.

Use this phrase when you are at the office and need a five-minute walk. Use it when you are planning a vacation with friends. It is perfect for social media captions of nature or food. If you are texting a friend who looks tired, tell them they need to リフレッシュ. It sounds supportive and modern. It is a staple in the Japanese workplace to justify taking a necessary break.

Do not use this for technical things. If you want to refresh a web page, use 更新する (koushin suru). Also, don't use it for physical objects. You wouldn't 'refresh' a glass of water; you would 'refill' it. It is strictly for your internal mental or physical state. Using it for a computer screen might make your IT department very confused!

This is a classic example of 'Wasei-eigo' or Japanese-made English. While 'refresh' exists in English, the Japanese version is much more common in daily speech. It gained massive popularity during the 'Iyashi' (healing) boom in Japan. In a culture known for long work hours, 'refreshing' became a socially acceptable way to prioritize mental health. It sounds more active and 'productive' than just saying you are lazy or resting.

You will often hear リフレッシュ休暇 (refresh kyuuka), which is a special 'refresh holiday' some companies give employees. Another common one is 気分転換 (kibun tenkan), which means a change of pace. While 気分転換 is more about changing the atmosphere, リフレッシュ is about the energy you gain from it. Both are great tools for your Japanese vocabulary toolkit.