Rest more, do more. My takeaways from Rest

In his book Rest, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang argues that we should consider work and rest as allies, not enemies; that rest is a skill that can make us more creative and productive. Here are some tips to help you get that high-quality rest.

4–5 hours of focused work

Charles Dickens, Henri Poincaré, Ingmar Bergman and many other outliers spent only 4–5 hours a day doing the most important work. The rest of the time they were walking, taking naps, hiking mountains, daydreaming and spending time with friends. Why? Because 4–5 hours of serious, creative work is about the limit for our brain. So in order to make the most of these hours, we need to rest properly. The idea is: you can break your daily work into chunks with long in-between breaks, but once behind the desk, stay really focused on the task.

Morning routine

For some corporate leaders and finance types, as for creative workers, an early start is a way to jump into work immediately. For others, it’s a chance to exercise. For many, the aim is to ease their way from a state of dreaming to wakefulness. For example, Hans Selye would allow himself a half hour’s conversation between his “conscious and unconscious well” before getting out of bed.

Regular daily schedule

Creative people like Stephen King work the same hours of the day, every day, often seven days a week, irrespective of whether they are in the mood or not. This routine supports creative production. Creativity doesn’t drive the work; the work drives creativity. As Chuck Close said, “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work”.

Deep play

Now this one is interesting, my favorite. The term deep play means activities that are rewarding on their own, but take on additional layers of meaning and personal significance. Deep play is mentally absorbing, offering the player challenges to face and problems to solve. It may give the player the chance to learn something new about themselves or about the world. Deep play offers a new context for the player to use some of their professional skills. It offers the same satisfaction as work but in a different way. Simple card games of chance and video games aren’t deep.

Sabbaticals

Just stop talking to your clients, close up your office and take a month/year off. Use this time to explore deep ideas and try new things, new environments.To keep up, it’s good sometimes to slow down.

Walk

Workers who are smart about maintaining their energy take walks to recharge. Some companies take advantage of walking meetings (I like the idea so much).

Nap

A short nap of around twenty minutes boosts your alertness, mental clarity and ability to concentrate by restoring depleted energy. Naps can also improve memory, emotional regulation and self-control.

Stop

An effective form of rest is to stop when you still have a little energy left. This way, it’s easier to get started the next day.