Resting Hard

Recently I was at a leadership forum and casually asked a colleague, “Have you got any plans over Christmas? Are you going away?”  and he simply said, “I am resting hard”.

Well my first response was to burst out laughing and then the more I thought about this statement the more I thought that this is genius!

We all work hard, we play hard, we wear this like a badge of honour.  Our exhaustion is seen as a status symbol. When you ask someone how are you, how often do you hear the response “busy”.

What COVID has brought home to me is burnout is real and so many people I know have got major health issues from not resting.  It is simply not a great culture where we take pride in our hustle and collective fatigue.  It’s not ok, and we shouldn’t keep on soldiering on through our exhaustion.

Resting

“Resting” is a simple concept that can take some time to master. It’s the art of disconnecting from your work, friends, and whatever else so you can relax and rejuvenate. If you don’t rest, you’ll burn out.

We see resting as a soft option and feel guilty for resting because we have been told if we are not busy, we are failing. But the opposite is so true. Resting more will actually give you more energy and make you feel better and perform better.

Sleep is the best performance-enhancing drug ever!!  I have experienced extreme ends of the rest continuum.  Ask any new mum with an unsettled child what lack of sleep does to you.  Any parent who is sleep-deprived will tell you emphatically how much better he/she feels with a decent nights sleep.

But it isn’t just sleep that is important for rest.  You need to create habits that allow you to switch off.  The first step to resting more is getting into a habit of resting every day. This will prevent you from being overworked and burnt out. The second step to rest is using exercises like yoga and meditation to help you relax and reset your mind. They are beneficial to both physical and mental health, but also help us enjoy life more.

Resting and recharging your batteries is about ensuring you take time to do the things that give you energy and fill you up.  Everyone has a place, hobby or exercise which gives them joy.  Mindfulness comes to people in so many different ways. It could be as simple as a walk around the block with the dog.

Leaders Need Rest Too

Even the most hard-charging business leaders need time to recharge their batteries. We all know that leading a company requires long hours and tons of energy, but it takes much more than that to stay sharp and motivated.

Just as a machine needs maintenance, so does the human body. Our bodies require rest and relaxation in order to function at the highest level. Some people take a lot of time off, while others prefer to get away from their daily grind by getting outdoors and exercising with friends. Some people prefer to take an hour to reflect on their goals with a quiet walk around the block.  Or maybe it is scheduling your regular yoga session.

Without rest, you cannot find the creativity and mental function required to solve complex problems.  You will find you have more capacity to help and support everyone around you if you help yourself first.

Rest Guilt-Free

Today, most people feel guilty when they take time off. It’s as if the world is going to stop spinning and explode if they aren’t working. They have an underlying belief that time spent away from work is wasted time, which only causes more stress. But what if I told you that taking a break actually makes you more productive? That’s right! When you take time off, your mind is more relaxed and ready for work. And there’s more good news! Taking regular breaks will eventually make you more productive and allow you to get more done in less time

Work at Resting

Imagine if we put as much time and effort into learning how to rest as we did learning a new skill.  Resting Hard is a concept that requires effort, it requires conscious time, put it in the diary.  Prioritise it.  Your body and mind will thank you.  Your family will thank you.  But also your staff will thank you for bringing your best version to work.  We are not built to squeeze more into our days.  Even God had to take a day off.  So if it is good enough for him then I might just work on doing it too.

So for now I am going to work on simply “resting hard”.