Rest is not a reward

It's June already and this newsletter has reached its third edition. Thank you to the almost 2,000 subscribers so far - I really appreciate you reading and subscribing. As a thank you, I'm offering 5 signed copies of my book which I will send out randomly to five people who share this edition of the newsletter in June 2023.

I wrote about rest and taking breaks a fair bit in my first book and want to revisit that again, as I think we have somehow classified rest as something that is earned or a reward for hard work. Rest is not a reward. You don't have to earn it - you need it. You are worthy of regular breaks from, and time away from work.

Rest is essential for mental rejuvenation and cognitive functioning. It gives our brains an opportunity to rest and recharge, which is vital for memory consolidation, learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Proper rest can enhance focus, attention, creativity, and mental clarity, all of which contribute to improved work performance.

When we rest and take breaks from work, we are not rewarding ourselves, we are prioritising our performance. Microsoft have amassed some of the largest and most compelling research in this area recently. Their research confirmed that our brains work differently when we take breaks. They found that taking time out between video calls prevents stress from building up.

In two straight hours of back-to-back meetings, the average activity of beta waves (those associated with stress) increase over time. In other words, the stress keeps accumulating. But when participants in one study were given a chance to rest using meditation, beta activity dropped, allowing for a “reset.” This reset meant participants started their next meeting in a more relaxed state. It also meant the average level of beta waves held steady through four meetings, with no buildup of stress even as four video calls continued.

The antidote to meeting fatigue is simple: taking short breaks. But rest from work is also a compelling contributor to creativity and innovation.

Creative people need to sit around and do nothing

If it wasn't for time to reflect, to just sit with my thoughts, to ponder and allow my mind to sort itself out, I don't think I would have achieved as much as I have in my life. I certainly wouldn't have written two successful books.

The parts of your brain that drive creativity are most active when you don’t have to focus on a task, and moments of creativity take place when the mind is at rest rather than when it is working. This is one of the reasons why we don't come up with great ideas when we are stressed or frightened, but do when we are stood in the shower doing nothing.

Researchers are the London School of Economics (LSE) have found that recovery from work helps to “recharge one’s batteries” and it that it may also enhance entrepreneurs’ creativity. LSE worked with 62 entrepreneurs who wore an?actigraphic device?around their wrist to measure their night-time sleep quality for twelve days. Each evening, LSE researchers contacted the entrepreneurs individually for telephone interviews. They assessed their creativity experienced during their working day and their engagement in problem-solving pondering after work.

They found that physiological and mental recovery are drivers of entrepreneurs’ daily creativity. They found that a good night's sleep is beneficial for entrepreneurs’ creativity the following day. If you take a break today, remember you are still, in many ways, working. You're just working smarter.