You Need to Rest

Jun 21

I was talking with one of my clients recently and a topic came up that is frighteningly common among leaders - rest - or rather, the lack of it.

You see, this client is the head of his organization, and, as a result, a lot of responsibility rests on his shoulders. Like many high performers he is driven to work extremely hard and has a purposeful mission he’s working towards. He also has a busy home life and on top of all that he is studying as well. He was telling me that he felt exhausted and was struggling to think clearly, which is a bit of a concern as he’s currently working on updating the long-term strategy for his business.

I encouraged him to take a day off, completely disconnected, and to spend some time doing something that he enjoys, just for himself.

The following session he came back and a lot of the things that were worrying him had fallen into place. Although he hadn’t specifically spent time thinking on his challenges, the time away had allowed his subconscious mind to work through some areas, giving him clarity on his return.

Now I’m not for one moment going to pretend that one day off miraculously solved all of his problems, but it made me curious about the topic of effective rest and how we can use it to become more effective leaders…and better human beings.

Different Types of Rest

Rest isn’t just about not doing anything, flopping on the sofa and watching TV (although that might be great on some occasions), or simply getting more sleep. In her seminal work “Sacred Rest”, Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith identifies 7 types of rest to help with overall wellbeing and productivity.

1. Physical rest

The most obvious source of physical rest is of course high-quality sleep. The topic of getting better sleep is beyond the scope of this article but some simple things include reducing screen time, reducing alcohol intake, and generally winding down properly before going to bed. You can read more on this topic here.

Physical rest isn’t only about sleep though, it could be simply lying down and relaxing, or doing some light movement like an easy walk or some gentle yoga.

If you spend a lot of your working time sitting at a desk, then taking a few minutes to move around or switching to a more comfortable chair for a while can help.

2. Mental rest

Getting away from the deluge of information we are subjected to is one way to get this sort of rest. This is about giving our brains a break from processing and decision-making.

In terms of activities, doing non-work related hobbies, meditation, and other mindfulness practices could be worth exploring for you.

And turn notifications off…most of the time you don’t need them. Make your technology work for you, not the other way around.

3. Sensory rest

This type of rest addresses the overstimulation of the senses from bright lights, screens, background noise, and other sensory inputs. Some of the activities in the ‘physical’ category can help here as well - getting away from screens and the doomscrolling news cycle are probably beneficial.

4. Creative rest

Moments of wonder and awe can be hugely restorative. This could be by experiencing art, theatre, or music, or by engaging in some sort of creative pursuit.

Note that this is not necessarily about being good at the hobby, it’s about accessing and activating different parts of your brain.

5. Emotional rest

Emotional rest gives you the time and space to freely express your feelings in a healthy way and perhaps to cut back on people-pleasing behaviours. You might consider stepping away from emotionally draining situations and seeking support when you need it, maybe from a trusted friend or even a professional if required.

6. Social rest

This type of rest is about creating and building relationships that revive and restore you, while minimizing time spent on relationships that exhaust you. It’s important to surround yourself with positive, supportive people, while distancing yourself from those that are draining or stressful.

Maybe go out for a coffee with someone, or even do a coffee Zoom call or similar if in-person isn’t practical. Connect and talk about anything you like.

7. Spiritual rest

Whether you believe in a deity or have another spiritual persuasion, connecting to a purpose or meaning beyond yourself can be restorative. This might manifest through meditation, prayer, or involvement in the wider community. It also helps bring perspective when considering your day-to-day work and challenges.

Active vs Passive

You may have noticed from the above list that getting rest in some of these different ways is actually more active than passive. If you’re constrained to a desk all day then going for a walk could be more ‘restful’ than switching to another chair to watch TV or something.

Either way, choosing to rest in a deliberate way is going to be more effective for your mental and physical health than just doing nothing.

Plan your active rest with purpose and you will feel better for it.

Call to (In)action

Here’s my challenge to you for this week. Have a look at your calendar and block in two or three slots for active rest. Choose some of the activities above and do some experiments. See what works for you. When you do your end-of-week reflection, note what worked well and what didn’t, and the following week try something else.

When you're ready, I offer 1:1 coaching for leaders who are looking to take their life and career to the next level. Send me an email and we'll set up a time to have a chat.

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Jon Mechan