Rest is not the opposite of work. It's an integral piece of great work. Our best ideas don't come from working non-stop. Our best ideas show up when you take a shower, go for a walk, sleep, etc.
Yet, when we need to get something done, our default instinct is to hustle harder, which leaves us feeling burned out and uninspired. It's time we stop utilizing rest as a last resort and instead recognize what a critical part rest plays in great work.
When I talk about integrating rest into work, most people immediately think of sleep. But sleep is just 1 out of the 7 types of rest. I was introduced to this concept through a TED talk by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, and I have since integrated them into my remote workday. This knowledge has helped me eliminate burnout, standardize a calm, measured approach to my workday, inspire more creative thinking, and feel healthier overall.
Let's dive into what the seven types of rest are and how you can take advantage of them when working remotely, so you can get more done while working less:
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This is the one you instantly thought of. Passive physical rest includes sleeping and napping, while active physical rest includes yoga, stretching, and massages to improve your body's circulation.
You can integrate physical rest into your remote workday by:
If you have trouble turning your brain off, you're probably in need of mental rest. You need more than just a once-in-a-while vacation. It's important to schedule regular short breaks between work (where you aren't doing anything mentally stimulating) to give your mind a recess.
You can integrate mental rest into your remote workday by:
Knowledge workers severely underutilize this one. Bright lights, multiple screens, and endless notification sounds constantly overwhelm your senses. Sensory rest involves actions like stepping away from screens and going to a quiet place.
You can integrate sensory rest into your remote workday by:
April 13th 2022
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If you're feeling uninspired or tapped out of ideas, you're probably in need of creative rest. This could be anything from appreciating nature (like watching a sunrise) to enjoying the arts. The point is to reawaken your wonder to find inspiration.
You can integrate creative rest into your remote workday by:
If you're answering, "How are you?" with "Fine", you're probably in need of emotional rest. This is when you have time and space to freely express your feelings instead of resorting to people pleasing. Work usually requires us to perform and hide parts of ourselves, which can be exhausting.
You can integrate emotional rest into your remote workday by:
If you have events on your calendar that you're not excited about or people you dread seeing, you probably need social rest. Spend more time with supportive people you choose instead of just ones that HR or genetics chose for you.
You can integrate social rest into your remote workday by:
If you're feeling lost or without purpose, you're probably in need of spiritual rest. Get involved with something greater than yourself on a regular basis to achieve this, like meditation, volunteering, religion, or community involvement.
You can integrate spiritual rest into your remote workday by:
Burnout happens when you try to continually force yourself despite your intentions and reality being misaligned. It's like attempting to force an incorrect puzzle piece into the wrong place. Eventually, with enough force, it might fit, but it comes at the cost of breaking it. Brute force is not the only option. There's an easier way.
Instead of using rest as a last resort, it's time we assess which types of rest we're lacking and proactively integrate them into our workday. This allows us to optimize our work with less forced effort. Remember, rest is not the opposite of work but an integral piece of great work. Just imagine what you're capable of when you're no longer working against yourself.
Our best ideas don't come from working non-stop. Our best ideas show up when you take a shower, go for a walk, sleep, etc.
It's time we stop utilizing rest as a last resort and instead recognize what a critical part rest plays in great work.
"Sleep and rest are not the same thing. We have incorrectly combined the concepts of sleep and rest and in doing so we have dumbed down rest to the point it appears ineffective.
You see sleep is only one part of the big picture. It’s only one of the seven types of rest. Many of us are going through life thinking we have rested because we have slept but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest that we need.
The result is a culture of high achieving, high producing, chronically tired, burned out individual. Many of us are suffering from a rest deficit because we do not understand the power of rest. Rest is the most underused, chemical free, safe and effective alternative therapy available to us."
Why We Increase Our Team’s Salaries Every Year
”Every year we increase our entire team’s salaries to keep up with market rates. Here's why we do this and how it impacts operating expenses.”
How a mid-day walk changed my energy levels—at work and at home
”I did learn an important lesson: getting out of my chair in the middle of the day was a game-changer.”
What the heck is asynchronous communication anyway?
”We’re betting that the most successful companies and teams will be the ones who make this shift in the future. It will be the teams that don’t require their employees to be always-on, prioritize asynchronous communication to create space for deep work, and allow employees to disconnect and recharge fully.”
Standing Now Counts as Exercise
Big thanks to Maggie Mertens for sharing my story on how remote work has actually led to a healthier and less sedentary lifestyle. Her article for The Atlantic is a great reminder that working remotely is what we make it.
May 24th 2022
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July 18th 2022
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What did you think of this issue? What do you hope you'll see in the next one? Feel free to reply to this message or DM me on Twitter @mar15sa.
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this. Hope you have a lovely day!
Marissa
Founder, Remote Work Prep
P.S.
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