When you ask someone, “How are you doing?” how often do you hear the response, “I’m so busy!” as if being busy is a badge of honor? Be honest… how often is that YOUR response?
Is all this busyness good for us? Is it helping us be more productive and successful?
We work through lunch, pull all-nighters, don't take weekends off, and work during vacations. But does constant busyness make us more productive?
No. We only end up sleep-deprived, stressed out, and at risk of burnout.
What is the solution?
Stop and reboot.
Why do we need to stop and reboot?
Human beings are most productive when rest is prioritized. When getting rest is ignored, productivity suffers. Health suffers. Relationships suffer.
Rest is necessary for our physical and mental health. It gives the body the opportunity to repair itself at the cellular level from our brains down to our toes.
Regular periods of rest and sleep promote not only cellular growth and repair, but also improved immune function, pain relief, improved blood pressure, sharper mental clarity, reduced stress, increased energy and resilience, more patience, better mood, and so much more.
With adequate rest, we are our most productive, most creative, healthiest, kindest, most generous, most intelligent, and happiest.
Being busy isn’t necessarily bad, but if it prevents us from getting the rest we need for optimal health and well-being, it is time to prioritize rest in our routine.
How can we prioritize rest?
Prioritizing rest requires us to be intentional or it won’t happen. Falling asleep at inopportune times isn’t prioritizing rest. Rest needs to be a part of our day, every day.
How? Here are 7 ways. Pick one. Add another until most if not all are part of your routine.
Take breaks throughout your work or study schedule. Get away from your workspace to pause and clear your mind. A break can include sitting in silence, taking a walk, visiting with a colleague or family member... anything that refreshes you.
Prioritize meal breaks. Eat mindfully. Enjoy the company of others. Meals refuel us mentally as well as physically.
Falling asleep at your desk? Take a nap. 20 minutes can do wonders.
Determine a reasonable work schedule and avoid taking work “home” (even if you work from home). If you can’t get it all done in your workday, there is too much on your to-do list. Learn to delegate when possible and to say no to yourself and others when needed.
Establish a consistent sleep schedule that provides the hours of sleep you need for your best self. Adults generally need between 7 and 9 hours a night.
Take at least half a day if not a whole day each week for rest and relaxation.
Take your vacation days. You earned them. You need them. Plan for them. Make them restful and refreshing.
Stop and reboot.
Consider a recent experience with feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Were you well rested? Likely the answer is no. Rewrite that script.
“Almost everything will work if you unplug it for a few minutes… even you.” ~ Anne Lamott
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