Why Rest is Essential to Your Productivity
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It’s no secret that Americans and Canadians work hard. Unfortunately, hard work with no breaks leads to burn out. Studies show people who rest, both athletes and workers alike, perform at a higher level than those who don’t take breaks. Why don’t we rest and take time off? The answer is simple and counterintuitive. We think in order to get it all done and achieve success, we have to work constantly, from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. According to some studies, many people are afraid that taking time off is perceived as a sign of weakness. If they take time off for a long weekend or vacation, they’re afraid they’ll return to a mountain of work or that clients will think they’re no dedicated to the business. Of course, none of this is true, but it doesn’t stop us from thinking it anyway.
As humans, we’re not designed to work in a peak state all the time; there’s a natural rise and fall cycle of work and recovery. When we don’t take time to rest, we become stressed out and out of balance. Little things add up and we become more stressed out, often about work or money. Soon we’re feeling burned out, frustrated and questioning why we got into the business in the first place.
Rest allows us to recharge our minds and bodies. With a refreshed mind, we’re able to think of creative solutions to any challenges we face. We also work more quickly and productively than our less-refreshed peers. In short, we have to rest so we can run.
While it’s easy to say you’ll take more breaks, it’s difficult in practice. Emergencies pop up during the day and a break or lunch is often the first thing that’s sacrificed to deal with the issue. Scheduling your rest periods ensures you’ll actually take it. When you include it in your schedule, it becomes like any other appointment. You wouldn’t miss a listing appointment to deal with an issue that arises with another client; the same is true for a break.
It’s not just daily breaks you need to schedule, be sure to include long weekends and vacations as well. If you have children and don’t want to miss a sporting event or play, pencil those in as well. Once you’ve planned your breaks, fill in the rest of your schedule with everything else, including work-related events and appointments. Once you write it down, you increase your chances of doing it and you have something to look forward to each day. Remember, taking care of yourself is taking care of business.
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It’s a good life!
Brian
