Have you ever heard of a rest ethic?
Jen Fisher, Deloitte’s Chief Well-being officer, explains that we all pride ourselves on having a great work ethic, but we’re missing a “rest ethic.”
“Having a strong work ethic — without a correspondingly strong rest ethic that we take every bit as seriously — is what’s burning us out. We should see time off as an investment into productivity and creativity.”
Our culture doesn’t value rest – not even a little bit. It’s a sign of weakness, a declaration of inability. We’re so conditioned to push ourselves and each other that we think if we stop, we’ll fall behind and lose. It goes against our cultural wiring to do, do, do so we can win, win, win.
It makes a rest ethic a completely radical idea.
It sounds crazy because we’re too invested in one not having to do with the other, but rest leads to a sharper, clearer and more decisive mind. It renews your bandwidth for challenges and leads to so much more creativity, and get this, it actually makes you more productive!
So take the time this week to rest, relax and rejuvenate.
And see if you can put yourself in the best position to go into high gear in 2023.