We live in super fast, distraction laden and crazily overwhelming times. Look around you! Mobiles are buzzing, people are always in a rush with no time to lose, social media is plastered with success stories, people multi-tasking like there is no tomorrow…phew! It’s almost as if the earth has started to rotate much faster these days and I sometimes feel people have become Superman, Batman kinda super heroes – saving the world by night, working by day and making it all seem like child’s play. And I firmly believe, no matter who you are, however driven you maybe – building Down Time in your routine is imperative to reach your goals, sustain your success rate and lead a happy life.
While the heading may seem paradoxical, here is a list of reasons, why down time, rest time or taking off, whatever you may call it, is super important in our routine to amp up our productivity week after week.
Law of Diminishing Returns – The harder you work, the lesser you get done. There is only so much you can get away with in the name of pushing yourself to the outer limits of 18 hour work days. You can carry on this for a few days or weeks, before you start to feel the ill effects and burn out. After a point your mind is bound to slow down and you’ll start taking longer to accomplish even routine tasks. REST UP!
Emotions – A stressed body and mind, affects your emotional wellbeing too. You will find that happiness is being replaced by anxiety, peace is being replaced by worrying and so on. Before you know it you are unable to sleep well, you lose your cool at the smallest provocation and feel like you are on pins all the time. CALL IT A DAY!
Rest = Clarity
The old axiom – sleep over a problem holds a lot of truth. Quite literally when you rest well, your state of mind shifts from anxiety to a more calm one, helping your decision making skills to a very large extent. Sidra Jafri, world renowned healer says ‘you can’t solve a problem from the same state of mind that created it’. Need more convincing? SLEEP IT OUT!
Even if you agree with most of the above, there is an inherent inner voice that is constantly badgering us to keep going, chase those goals, deadlines, commitments… almost consuming us with high levels of guilt for taking that half a day off work, calling off that important meeting, postponing that decision at work…still DO IT! Take that off, get your down time, press RESET! A well-rested body and mind are the breeding grounds for unparalleled levels of productivity and success.
In my next blog I will share the different categories of down time that may be available, to help you make a wise choice on the one that suits you the most.
Like what you read? Feel free to share this with at least one super stressed superman or superwoman you know…and help them breath easy and schedule a down time in their routine!
