When living in a success-oriented culture, there’s immense pressure to adopt a hustle-and-grind mindset where you’re chasing one thing after the other and hyper-focused on achievements and productivity. As a result, even when we are free, we feel the need to do something “productive,” so we make ourselves busy with various commitments. On occasion, though, we’ll rest for a bit. We think of rest as taking a break from being productive so that we don’t burn out. However, in doing so, we’re shortchanging the value of rest.
We are biologically programmed to need rest. When we sleep, our conscious mind is dormant, but our body is fast at work trying to repair our body and mind and prepare it for optimal functioning once we wake up. Similarly, when strength training, muscle growth happens during rest periods. Therefore, rest is inherently a form of productivity.
Not all rest is created equal.
Many people equate rest with a break from productivity because their concept of rest often equals doing a mindless activity, such as binge-watching a Netflix show for several hours. However, this is more of a form of passive rest, and like caffeine, it can block the signals that let us know how tired we actually are. Active rest is something that you do with full awareness and intentionality. It is something that you plan for, just as you would for a doctor’s appointment.
Active rest is engaging in activities and behaviors that rejuvenate you. It could mean taking a power nap to combat physical exhaustion, attending church to combat spiritual exhaustion, or going to therapy to combat mental fatigue. Sometimes, it is letting yourself sit and be present amid your boredom and restlessness.
Final words…
Rest is something that you need to plan and make time for. It’s not just something that happens between activities or when you have leftover time. Some things that I have been currently working on are:
- Treating active rest as a commitment that I need to block off on my calendar.
- Making active rest non-negotiable (it is not something I do ‘only if I have free time.’ It is equally as important as any work meeting)
- Thinking about the types of energy that I have been low on (e.g., mental, physical) and planning active rest periods to recover in those domains. For example, I started waking up at 5 am to work out. With the combination of waking up early and getting in an intense workout, I noticed that I was extremely exhausted and unproductive for the rest of the day. I recognized that I wasn’t getting enough sleep, so I became more disciplined about going to bed earlier and incorporated a 20-30-minute nap earlier in the day. I’ve noticed there are a few times when I don’t feel the need for a power nap, but I try to take one anyway.
- Allowing myself to engage in passive rest. On occasion, binge-watching Netflix or playing video games are okay. They can also be restorative. However, they’re only refreshing if you engage in them due to a genuine interest, not because you’re bored, addicted, or don’t know what else to do with your time.
As with anything you’re trying to get good at, rest is also something you need to practice. When you’re going 100 miles an hour, it’s not easy to tell yourself to slow down. However, by ignoring your body’s signals of rest, you’re doing yourself a disservice and limiting your long-term potential.
