Rest isn’t the reward for hard work: it’s part of the work
In the course of my work as a burnout coach, I meet tired people every day. Proper tired. Verging on exhaustion; physically and/or mentally.
This may be due to:
Juggling responsibilities at home and work
Trying to do too much with too little – could also be at home or work
Not getting enough sleep because they are either staying up late to work harder or waking early and not being able to get back to sleep because they are thinking about work
Worried about the cost of living at the moment
The constant overwhelming crises we see unfolding out across the world
Add your own reason here!
I’ve worked with many people now who feel they are on the road to burnout within the ‘hustle’ culture, feeling they have lost sight of who they really are, what their purpose in life is, and questioning why they are even doing what they are doing. Most of these people used to really enjoy their work.
What I’ve noticed a lot when talking with people is the complex narrative we as humans in the workplace often have around the concept of ‘rest’. On the one hand we know it’s the key to making our bodies and minds work well for longer. We know that if we are pushed too far, there is no guarantee we can bounce back – many of us are familiar with the term ‘the body keeps the score’ yet we often ignore those physical signs that our bodies are communicating to us – headaches, palpitations, anxiety.
Yet this knowledge is also tied up with the guilt and shame that comes with resting, which may have been instilled in us from our early years at home, school and then work. It’s much easier to say rest is important than it is to take it. Rest is often seen as a reward for a period of driving ourselves hard instead of seeing it as part of the process that helps us be more productive and to function effectively as a human being.
This is something we often unpick in coaching conversations and try to unravel the monster that has been created.
I know from personal experience and from now hundreds of hours of coaching conversations that rest makes all the difference to mental and physical wellbeing, clarity of thought, fruitful relationships and productivity at work.
Radical rest
Have you heard of the concept of radical rest? Last year I was inspired by a self employed colleague of mine decided to plan in a period of radical rest. For him, this meant he intentionally stepped away from the incessant demands of daily life, getting in a camper van away from Jersey, no connectivity and went off grid for a couple of weeks – when you’re self employed, you’re ‘it’(!) – to deeply rejuvenate mentally, physically and emotionally.
This really made me reflect on my own ‘resting’ habits. Whilst you won’t find me in a camper van, I do regularly go off grid and ditch my phone when away from the Island as it only takes one notification for my brain to switch back over into ‘work’ mode. I don’t look at the news or access social media. My friends and family know where to find me in emergencies. I’m just back from a walking trip in Northern Greece; no phone, no social media. Just amazing food, fresh air, sunshine and exercise. I felt replenished very quickly.
I find it difficult to switch by brain over from work when I am in Jersey as I’m regularly bumping into people I work with and I do a lot of business on my phone. However, I would soon be bankrupt if I left the island to walk around Greece every time I needed to rest so I need to think differently.
Scheduling in breaks
Recent research from Nick Petrie, leadership researcher on the characteristics of high performers at work who were not burning out showed that two key factors were:
· Planning in ‘pulsing’ to their work schedules, meaning that they planned their diaries with a mix of work that required intense concentration and work which needs less focus or which uses a different part of your brain. I know I concentrate on detailed tasks much more during the morning hours so I plan my work this way. When I switch over to other tasks in the afternoon, perhaps something creative or a stimulating coaching conversation, my brain gets a chance to restore and spark up again.
· Scheduling in mini breaks throughout the year, rather than going for long stretches without a break and then trying to cram all their leave towards the end of the year. I like to work intensely and with focus and I’m happy to work long hours when needed. I know enough about myself to know that I cannot sustain this for more than 8 weeks at a time. When I work longer than that at this intensity, I notice I lose concentration, tasks take me longer and I’m very tired. So, at the beginning of each year, I plan my breaks. A couple of bigger trips are interspersed with long weekends or creative courses. Doing this keeps me well, rested and productive.
Active Rest
Rest doesn’t have to mean sitting still. It may mean lying on the sofa watching a great Netflix drama or comedy (Four Seasons anyone?) but it doesn’t have to be that. I’m not great at sitting still unless I’ve got a good book. But I feel just as rested if I’m doing something unconnected to my work. For example:
· Writing
· Doing a course – Daily Dante!
· Exploring somewhere new
So, active rest is an activity that consumes your attention and helps you to switch off from other demands and distractions.
What might active rest look like for you? How can you plan more of that into your week?
Remember…
You don’t have to earn rest.
You need rest to function at home and work.
You deserve rest.
If you are buying into what I’ve written but that ‘guilt’ monster is holding you back, you might want to consider getting in touch and we can unravel that together through coaching conversations. It’s too important to ignore.