3 smart ways to get rest even when you’re busy.
The benefits of getting sufficient rest are well known and although most of us know we need it, sometimes it can almost seem impossible to get enough in the midst of a fast-paced life or hectic season. The ramifications of burnout can be detrimental to productivity and lost time, especially in the long-term.
Here are 3 tips to help you get more rest even when you’re busy, whether it be because you’re working towards a tight deadline or you’re just always balancing multiple priorities.
1. Make rest shorter but more frequent
If you can’t afford to take a whole week off or go on a trip around the world then make rest more regular by incorporating it into your daily routine. This could include not waking up as soon as your alarm rings or taking a few minutes every couple of hours to take some time out. If necessary, even set reminders on your phone every couple of hours to prompt you to stop and pause for a few moments (depending on how much time you can spare). This short retreat away could look like going for a walk for a few minutes, sitting in a park or waking up 10 minutes earlier than usual to just lie with a cup of tea before getting up.
2. Drop things….yeah I said it.
Especially things that don’t facilitate your goals, support your objectives or align with your values. Take note that goals should be made in every area of your life, not just in career or business, but family, health and wellbeing. This way it becomes a priority area for you to focus on from the onset so that when new pressures and demands come along, you’ve already established rest as part of your priorities and routine.
3. Sit down a second
When we’re busy there are certain activities we tend to do on-the-go such as eating a meal. Try eating all your meals sitting down (without multitasking), rather than as you’re walking around or completing other activities. This could end up amounting to at least 20 minutes a day or 2 and a half hours a week. Use it as an opportunity to clear your mind, breathe and regain perspective.
Rest is not an option or simply self-indulgence, but a necessity. It can look and feel different for every person, but it needs to be something that re-energises you. Typically it’s not until we get off the hamster wheel that we realise the true impact that insufficient rest is having on our work quality, mental health, physical body and even personal relationships. More specifically, research shows that burnout is associated with a decline in attention, memory, the ability to regulate emotions and plan, organise and prioritise. You can’t save the world single-handedly but getting the rest you need can make you a great part of the team that does.
“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” — Ovid
Learn strategies to help you use rest to boost personal and business performance.
