Unplug to connect deeper
‘And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work he had made.’ Genesis 2:2 (King James Version)
The above scripture is on the backstory of creation and how our Creator found it fit after doing His work that He had to rest from all the work he had done. The first principle that is important to take is from the closing sentiments of the verse, ‘and he rested from all his work he had made.’{my emphasis} It becomes important to note that rest comes after one has done work. One cannot seek to take a break if they are not productive, rest comes only after you have fully exerted yourself and have done that which you must. This article is not one to force people to work themselves to a standstill, it is rather looking at why one should rest so that they can do more.
TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday). This is a common phrase often said in the worklpace. It might come out as a lazy statement, people celebrating the weekend, meaning days from work. In my first days at work, I would not really understand this concept. It was until I started being productive that I really got to know yes, “TGIF” is real. In my primary school days, I was an all out, tough tackling right fullback. All those that have played football know that playing as a fullback is a pretty taxing job, one is continously up and down as not only do you have to defend crosses from getting into your 18 area, you also have to provide support for attacks in the oppostion’s half. At the end of a game, I would be panting a lot and all I would need is to get to bed. This is the same for our lives, if we are industrious, highly productive and do our outmost best as provided for in Ecclesisates 9:11, the end result is that we crave for rest and we have no option bar to oblige to what the body requires.
We live in an ever demanding world, we are required to do more and with the average millenial having no less than 3 hustles, it shows how we are constantly demanding more from ourselves and seek to maximise that which is within us. If we go back to our manufacturer as already seen in the introduction, He rested, as such, we have our limits and must get to a place that we hit snooze and rest so we come back more energised and geared to tackle the great world we live in.
Research conducted in the developed world has revealed that people perform better at work and in life when they practice strategic renewal. When one is rundown they are more susceptible to getting sick and miss days from work. One needs to get more sleep during the week, scheduling daytime workouts, eat healthy foods, and enjoy rest and relaxation away from the office with team members whenever possible.
Humans are not designed to run on high level without having a period of rest and relaxation. You need a time for renewal. It allows you to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body. This is why taking yourself on vacation is really important. The month is December 2018, what a year it has been for Degrey, he has been working so hard and has reached his breakpoint. The passion to go on has been lost and the daily routines have made life boring. Enter Ruth (not real name) Degrey’s girlfriend and suggests a trip to Matobo for the weekend. Degrey as a budget conscious individual is skeptical of the idea and quickly dismisses it. Ruth keeps on pestering and for the sake of peace in the relationship, Degrey reluctanly agrees to the idea. Coming back from Matobo, Degrey was so grateful for the ‘bother’ by his girlfriend and viewed all the money spent during the weekend as an investment. He came back not only refreshed, he seemed a new being flowing with ideas and really determined to be productive. From the story of Degrey, major takeaways are the dual purpose of taking a vacation; it celebrates your accomplishments and reinvigorates one to do more as they create peak moments that the brain so much craves.
Taking a break helps us as:-
Energy is restored - You need to recharge your batteries in order to perform at peak effectiveness. Rest and relaxation is part of your work cycle and taking advantage of it whenever possible will improve your productivity.
The body is repaired - Our bodies repair themselves from daily wear and tear when we rest. Rest and relaxation reduces stress and improves overall health.
Focus is improved - An active mind gets tired just like an active body. Including time to quiet your thoughts and letting your mind rest is part of the healing process. By taking that break, problem solving becomes easier and a formality. This is especially true when faced with a complex situation, the moment we relax and take our time away, the euraka moment comes.
Mood is improved - Relaxation makes you feel happier. When you choose to think about things that make you feel good, you will discover that you actually feel more positive about the challenges you face. The mindset suddenly changes from viewing obstacles as challenges to view as opportunities.
Creativity is improved - Too much stress and activity often disconnect you from your creative potential. Rest and relaxation will allow you to regenerate as an individual and as a team. Your ability to create and innovate as a team member and as a cohesive group will be improved when you return to your daily routines.
Having worked for 5 years in the Industrial Relations’sector, I have observed a worrying trend of people dreading to take their vacation days, either from fear of being seen that they are not valuable or that they can be replaced. The truth of the matter is that, you are not as important as you make yourself to be and you can easily be replaced. An organisation can fill a vacancy before you have even been laid to rest. It requires one to make the deliberate decision to slow down, take a break and rest from work. As we discussed in another article, there is need to have a work life balance and resting is one such aspect that helps us.
Getting away from that routine you have always being doing allows one to find out new skills. Explore your hobbies as it not only helps you to relax, but improves your mind power and makes you more creative than you could ever think possible. One of the most important discoveries come in a moment that one is relaxed and least expects. Is it not that legend has it that Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree that the law of gravity came into existence?
My dear friends, let us have the will to slow down, ‘take a chill pill’ to get faster and better results.