Rest As A Radical Act

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I was inspired to explore this week's theme - rest as a radical act - by the sheer number of times I've found myself in a conversation with a friend or colleague this past week in which they declared that they would be finding time to rest this Summer. They did not say this as a way of simply sharing information, but more as a bold statement of intention.

I find it odd that taking time off and resting over the course of an entire season should feel like a bold act, or require a declaration. Yet, even for me, it does often feel bold - even a bit defiant - although towards whom, I'm not sure :)

There are many reasons that so many of us have a hard time being intentional about making time for resting, daydreaming, or just being still. Some of them are personal. I can say that, for me, it can sometimes be difficult to pause and give myself space to rest without feeling a crushing sense of overwhelm about all of the unchecked items on my to-do list.

Some of the reasons are institutional. As leaders, we can inadvertently incentivize overwork as a practice, even if not as a value.

We can encourage people on our staff to take vacations without taking one ourselves...

We can have "no email after 8pm" policies that result in a flood of pent-up emails at 7am the next morning...

Whatever the cause, investing in rest is absolutely critical to sustaining the passion and momentum required to lead and support social change efforts.

Yet, we cannot hope to have the creativity, daring and resilience to reimagine our systems and rebuild what is broken in our society if we burn out before we create real change.

So in this issue, I'm sharing some articles and resources about how to build a practice of rest into your life.

This is a wonderful piece written about sabbaticals by a dear friend and incredible leader, Kemi Ilesanmi.?

She offers a frank and deeply personal argument in favor of sabbaticals - not just as an investment in rest, but as a critical organizational practice rooted in?the value of radical self-care .

Scheduling your social time may be sucking the joy out of the very activities that are supposed to rejuvenate you.?

This is because we tend to mentally group scheduled activities in the same bucket — whether it’s a dentist appointment or grabbing coffee with a friend. So our brain registers even pleasurable activities as part of our to-do list.?As a result, they become less enjoyable. So?if you want to truly relax , try not scheduling your free time.

Adam Grant's podcast episode,?When Work Takes Over Your Life, discusses responding to the ever-present specter of burnout.?

This link includes both?the excellent podcast episode ,?and a breakdown of key action steps you can deploy in your own life.

The above article is from Leadership Forward 321 ,?my short weekly leadership email in which I share thought-expanding articles, concrete resources, and a quote on a nonprofit leadership theme.

You may also enjoy?The Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast , where I do a deep dive into the mindset and strategy behind launching, growing, and leading a high-impact nonprofit.

A bit about me : I'm an organizational design and social impact strategist supporting mission-driven leaders across the country in launching and scaling high-impact nonprofits and social enterprises. My Launch Lab course helps founders turn social impact ideas into lasting nonprofits, and my Impact Accelerator supports leaders of growth-stage organizations to build the systems they need to scale their impact & budget with more clarity & confidence, and less overwhelm.