Take a moment to breathe in deeply through your nose, and slowly exhale. How do you feel?

Sometimes I notice that creative people are constantly at odds with themselves to produce content. To keep generating new things all the time, to output at a frequency that can really drag you down. We keep exhaling, but we need to remember to inhale. To take a step back, and to value our rest days seriously. Rest is not a day off, we should not be calling it a day off. There isn’t an on and off switch when it comes to meaningful work. Rest is just as important as the work itself.

Look at the big picture

Athletes know this really well. Between each workout, they will take the time to rest and recover, otherwise they risk injury. We often glorify those who are “crushing it” every day of the week. Those people end up burning out, fast. They lose sleep, their relationships suffer, and they end up hurting themselves just how an athlete might overdo it.

It’s not that we shouldn’t push ourselves when it comes to game day. I’ve done the 100 hour work week, I’ve lost sleep over a client project, it happens. I’m just not going to celebrate it.

Work hard, rest hard

What I’m after is a slow burn. When I’m at the office I want to work at my absolute best, but be very consious of my limits. We can be mindful of our commitment to rest. Good rest will promote good work. To work smart and more sustainable.

Take your rest seriously.