In this day and age, the American culture says that being busy is the same as being successful. We think we have to work harder for longer periods of time, giving up our evening and our weekends in the name of productivity. However, this ongoing behavior is leaving us stressed, unsatisfied and unhealthy.
Why You Should Unplug This Weekend
Rest – I’ve heard of a CEO of a large company falling asleep before a major meeting, keeping people waiting for hours, while bragging about working 80 hours a week and averaging 6 hours or less of sleep per night. The need to produce at the cost of your health is absurd. How long can you really keep that up? Eventually there will be huge burn out. The more reasonable approach is to learn the art of time management, delegation and leadership so that you can be healthy and still produce on a high level. Studies show that when you give your mind and your body the rest it needs, your productivity actually improves.
Recreation – When we talk about rest, we typically think of physically laying down and not moving. However, the point of rest is to recharge and there are many ways to do that. For some, it’s spending extra time with friends and family. For others, it’s a hobby or simply carelessly having fun doing something pointless. If we want to lead happy and low-stress lives, we must have recreational activities that make us feel energized and recharged. Return to your childhood and go outside and play.
Solitude – Leaving yourself alone with your thoughts may sound boring or unproductive but it’s actually very healthy for your mental state. When you let yourself be free to daydream, you open yourself up to resolve issues within yourself, envision the future and find solutions to problems that you’re currently facing. When your mind is always full of the details of daily to do’s, we are less free to resolve the big things that really matter.
In conclusion, take time to rest whenever you get the chance. Be intentional about working hard but also be intentional about resting and playing as well. It will lead to a happier and healthier life and make you more effective in the job.