Futurologist Alex Pang took a sabbatical due to burnout.  What he learned is that Rest allowed him to get more done.  Balancing work and rest was the key to long term success. He says you must draw a clear line between work and rest and don’t mix them up.

Alex Pang then went on to write a book called REST.

Here are some of his Key Points:

The Importance of Rest

Rest is something that we do when we stop working.  These days, the problem is that the problem for most of us is not knowing when to stop working.  We are connected 24/7 wherever we go and it is harder and harder to find rest. Everyone pays the price for this type of lifestyle. Your family your boss and most importantly yourself.

Freedom

Pang noticed that during his sabbatical he read more and achieved more than when he worked 24/7. He felt freer and more creative. He read biographies of successful creative people and he noticed that they took relaxation seriously.  Reminds me of Tim Ferris and the notion of the 4 hour work week.

Brainwork

MRI scans show that the brain at rest is just as active as the brain that is focused on a specific task.  It turns out that your brain needs downtime to solve creative problems.  It also turns out that recall works better when the brain is not on overload.  We all know that under a lot of stress are hormones are all over the place and we tend to struggle with Foggy Brain and Focus.

Enough is Enough

These days Pang who consults for Silicon Valley tech firms draws a clear line between work and spare time. He says it is one or the other not a mix of both.  He says no one has had a massive breakthrough or creative ah ha moment when they were doing a thousand things.  I struggle with not enough hours in the day however after writing this blog I am  going to make a conscious effort to let go of the noise and work hard and rest well.

Have a healthy and happy week

Namaste Dr Pia