Written by: Dr Clare Stone, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Snuff out the Sparks before you Burnout
As is the case with many things in life, prevention is far better than cure. By the time you reach burnout, your body has essentially taken charge and forced you to slow down or stop. Rather than waiting for your body and mind to scream for a break, ask yourself if it is worthwhile to experiment and try something different? You must preserve that greatest and most important asset you have, which is you!
Feeling tired much of the time?
Afraid to rest because you are worried you won’t be able to get going again?
Waiting for things to settle down, but they never seem to?
Too many plates spinning and terrified one may drop?
Or just at the stage of plain and simple burnout?
If your answer is yes to any of these, this article is well worth the read.
What is Purposeful Rest?
Let me start defining what we mean by purposeful rest by clarifying what this does not mean. It does not necessarily mean mindlessly lounging in front of the TV all evening, or going down the rabbit hole of social media or gaming for hours on end. Sorry if this news disappoints you!
The key term here is that it is ‘purposeful’. It is not just about switching off, but it should be restorative and leave you feeling that your batteries are at least somewhat recharged.
Purposeful rest is not one singular defined activity, as this could mean different things to different people at different times. It is primarily about asking ‘what do I need right now’. Bearing in mind that need is different to want. Need is about survival and is essential to us, whereas a want is about desire.
I may really, REALLY want chocolate but no matter how much I want it, I do not need it. So you can ask yourself, what is the need at the core of this desire? Is it for comfort? Is it for stimulation due to boredom? Am I simply hungry or thirsty? The answer to this will help you to understand what your true need is, so this can be satisfied.
How to Cure Your Aversion to Rest
There are many things people will say to fight against the idea of purposeful rest. I too, at one point, was guilty of holding some of these beliefs! Individuals who hold themselves to unrealistic standards, high achievers and very driven individuals are especially prone to these typical traps. I will now destroy each of these arguments one by one:
“I always need to be productive”
This suggests that resting is not productive. It is usually followed with…
“By resting I am doing nothing – I hate doing nothing!”
But is this really true?? By definition, being productive means achieving good results. What do we think happens to performance results when no rest are taken? In the sporting sector, rests are essential for recovery and to allow for further peaks to performance. The absence of effective rest means performance can only deteriorate. We are no different in our working lives.
“No one else seems to need a rest – If I need one I must be weak”
I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but most likely you are not a superhero with endless energy and power. As human beings, our bodies are designed in a way that requires regular bouts of rest to function optimally.
Even if you think others do not seem to need rest, this may not be entirely accurate. Comparing yourself against others is rarely helpful anyway. Everyone is different with regards to how much rest they need. Even if someone appears to be functioning better on less rest than you, that does not mean they are performing better, or that they are not struggling themselves in other areas of their lives. We choose what we let others see, and often this is only the rose-tinted snapshot.
“Resting means being still and I struggle with being still”
It may be that you only value being ‘active’ and therefore it would be helpful to start exploring the value within inactivity. We do not need to wait until our bodies reach breaking point before we allow it some rest. Short and deliberate forms of rest help to prevent this from happening.
I do not have time to rest – there are more important priorities to tend to”
Rest is important to our health. As the famous quote says ‘If you do not make time for your wellness, then you will be forced to make time for your illness’. If you are serious about wanting to be more efficient, then purposeful and planned rest is a key component of this. Claiming that you do not have the time is not a valid excuse. When you prioritise something and see the value in it, then you find the time.
A good example of this is the ‘sharpening your saw’ metaphor as illustrated by Stephen Covey in the 7 habits of highly effective people. If you keep trying to saw down a tree using a blunt tool then you will not be efficient, you will tire and it will take longer. However, by stopping and sharpening your saw, yes this takes time away from the important task, but by doing so you come back with increased motivation and a tool which will get the job done in much reduced time.
Our minds and bodies work in much the same way. By taking purposeful rest you allow a fresh perspective, renewed energy and will most likely get the job done better and quicker.
How to Get Started
I usually suggest that my clients think about different levels of purposeful rest:
Micro-moments
For example, taking 5-10 minutes every hour to re-centre. You could set a reminder on your watch or phone so it prompts you. This could involve a short walk around the office, stretching, getting a cup of tea, short meditation or breathing practice, stroking a pet. Anything really that gets you away from the task at hand for a brief period of time and either get you gently moving if you have been seated, or sit down if you have been active. One key piece of advice here is to ban the use of screens during these micro-moments of rest. Otherwise, 5 minutes can suddenly turn into 30 or an hour by going down that particular rabbit hole.
Regular 30-minute breaks
Look at how your day is structured and break it up with deliberate 30-minute break intervals. Play around with how many breaks, the spacing and how long for. Everyone is different with regards to what compliments their optimal performance.
Consider how you spend your ‘down time’ from work
There is a difference between collapsing in a heap and sitting watching TV as a default every night, to engaging in activities that give you a sense of fulfilment and restorative care. You could include some relaxation or meditation, activities that are fun or creative, or things that leave you feeling pampered. Rest does not always have to involve being still though, it could involve playing an instrument, being creative with drawing or art, or using your brain by solving puzzles. It all depends on what you enjoy and what you need a break from.
Schedule and take ALL annual leave
You are entitled, so take it! You need chunks of time away from your work whether that be a day off, a long weekend or a full week or two. Even if you are self-employed or running your own business, this is no excuse for not taking adequate time off. Decide on the minimum time that you need and book it in advance. Plan some fun things to do with that time and this has the added benefit of giving you something to look forward to! Even if you put this off for fear of the mass of work you will return back to, you will also return with the ‘sharpened saw’ to cut through it all.
Purposeful Rest – Doctors Orders!
As a business owner and highly driven person, I understand that it can be difficult to value and plan for purposeful rest, especially if you are at a point of growing and expanding. You want to ‘strike when the iron is hot’ and have the belief that you can ‘sleep when you are dead’. But this mentality is only ever effective for a sprint, not a marathon. You will eventually lose motivation and tire because you are not a robot. Burnouts can be incredibly detrimental, however, when we intervene early they are entirely preventable.
Remember, even energiser bunnies need to recharge! What steps could you take to keep your batteries topped up?
Dr Clare Stone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr Clare Stone is a specialist in life-purpose, performance and transformational coaching. Her strong belief is that we can use psychological knowledge to help others to truly flourish and live a life filled with purpose, meaning and contentment. She created the social media platform ‘Elevate Psychology’, with the mission of spreading the message of Positive Psychology to a wider audience. Dr Stone is fully committed to helping others to reach their fullest potential through self-development, lifelong growth and sense of accomplishment.
Dr Clare Stone began her career as a Counselling Psychologist, and now runs her own successful and busy Psychology business called Dr Stone Elevate. She specialises in transformational coaching and trauma therapy. Dr Stone prides herself on providing the highest quality mental health care, using holistic and customised evidence-based psychological interventions. Dr Stone has a passion for helping her clients to realise, achieve and even surpass their identified goals. She was also a Professional Development tutor and occasional Lecturer on the Doctorate for Counselling Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University.
