Just Because You Take Breaks Doesn’t Mean You’re Broken.
It means you’re human
The origin of meritocracy and capitalist work ethic
“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” — Alan Cohen
Resting is an important part of being a productive human being. Both the body and the mind need time to refresh, recuperate, or recover. Even steel gets tired when being continuously overused, and we are far from being made out of metal.
Nonetheless, capitalist, merit-based, growth-oriented societies frown upon those who are not working 24/7, especially if the culture has grown out or been directly influenced by Protestantism (for more about this topic I suggest reading Max Weber’s “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”). Through our hard work, we will bring heaven down to Earth! What a great idea! Yet, even in the most productive or achievement-oriented societies, Sunday is still seen as a day that should be dedicated to rest, and that is for a reason…
The traps of consciousness and the inherent wisdom of the autonomic nervous system.
Structurally, we know that a human being is not a simple one-tracked creature. This is clearly seen when studying the workings of our nervous systems, as most of their processes are twofold. For example, we can take the somatic (voluntary) and the autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems. While one controls bodily functions which are voluntary, the other is responsible for all that happens within us that is not directly subordinative to the conscious mind.
What would happen if we (the conscious ‘Is’) had to take care of all the involuntary processes which are being taken care of by the autonomic nervous system, an intelligence beyond our conscious control? Circulating the blood, growing bones, digesting food… That would be all that we could think of! Fortunately, these processes happen by themselves, and if we don’t interfere with them through bad habits — things should continue going well.
Unfortunately, forgetting that the brain is only a secondary organ (at least in evolutionary terms), we tend to overestimate its power while underestimating the workings of other systems over which we have limited or no control of. For this reason, when our bodies say “rest”, we should rest. Similarly, when they say “work”, we should work.
Nonetheless, the conscious mind is a tricky companion. Sometimes it interferes with these signals and wants to take contrary action.
Still, if you don’t mind me asking… How many times have you fallen sick just because you did not rest when you felt like you had to? Was that extra Saturday workout worth it? How about those couple more hours of work or a few more beers last night?
Too rarely do we understand that if we over-push ourselves today, we are stealing from the us in the future. Yes, putting in a few more reps or a couple ofextra miles might seem tempting, but the consequences of such endeavours might be dire. Better to know when to put on the breaks and retreat to recuperate than to burn out and spend weeks in bed.
Also, while being overtly tired we make mistakes that could have otherwise been avoided. That is why if we find the will and strength to bury the axe when the time is right, the next morning or the day after we will most probably thank ourselves for being wise. As said by Hippocrates:
“When sleep puts an end to delirium, it is a good symptom.”
In conclusion
There is great wisdom in an ability to rest when necessary. No great general won consecutive battles by simply charging ahead with single-minded brute force. Yes, that might be a good short-term tactic, but it is a terrible long-term strategy. For this reason, it is best to listen to the circumstance, which can be visible both in the workings of our body (internal nature) or the changing of weather and seasons (external nature).
We have grown to be extremely adaptable. It would be a pity to take this ability away by becoming single-minded and narrow creatures. Let’s return to our senses and understand that timing and patience is no less important than action or performance. As in the words of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
“Activity and rest are two vital aspects of life. To find a balance in them is a skill in itself. Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have. Finding them in each other — activity in rest and rest in activity — is the ultimate freedom.”
Thank you for reading. I hope the article was interesting and worthwhile. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to clap or leave a comment expressing your thoughts about the subject. 🎓✨
Other articles that you might like:
Not yet a member? Join Medium through a referral link that will directly support me and other writers on this platform. 👇
