The secret ingredient that makes you more productive at work

Contents · 2 sections

1. Why quality rest matters so much
2. How to combine real rest with productivity

Productivity has become one of the main yardsticks of success, so it’s no surprise that so many people are set on getting more and more done. “Success takes a lot of hard work” is a popular belief, and plenty of entrepreneurs, business people and even young professionals live by it. That’s why people chasing big success often spend hours hunched over a desk or stuck on endless phone calls. But what if I told you that the secret ingredient for productivity and effectiveness isn’t long hours of nonstop work, but real rest?

Why quality rest matters so much

That may come as a shock, and it’s easy to see why. Our culture often casts rest in a negative light, as the total absence of work. So the obvious question is: how can not working make you more productive and effective at work?

At first glance it sounds like a contradiction. But think about it a little longer and you’ll see that rest isn’t just idle time. We need it to be creative and effective, and to do our work faster and better.

Think of work and rest as two things that always go hand in hand. When you work for hours on end, your brain gets overloaded, the ideas dry up, everything slows down and mistakes creep in. But if you take regular breaks, you’ll find that fatigue and burnout have far less hold on you.

Here’s a little secret, too: even when you aren’t actively working on something, your brain keeps building connections between neurons and finding new ways to solve problems. Yes, all of that happens while you rest. Most of this processing and linking of new information happens while you sleep. That’s why a good night’s sleep matters so much for productivity.

Rest has plenty of benefits, which is exactly why it deserves an important place in your life and shouldn’t be neglected. Big names in business like Richard Branson and Bill Gates have found their own ways to truly unwind: Branson by spending time with his family, Gates by making time for his favorite hobby, reading.

How to combine real rest with productivity

When a new, challenging project is waiting for you, borrow a habit from successful entrepreneurs: get up very early. While everyone else is still asleep, you’re already at work. Early in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, your mind is sharp and fresh, so start with the harder tasks that take the most energy.

Go for a walk. It’s another way to boost your creativity and thinking. Grab a coffee from the place around the corner or even pace around the office. You might get on your colleagues’ nerves, but it’s worth it if you crack an important problem.

If you can, take an afternoon nap. Your brain is in a very particular state just before you fall asleep. According to scientists, that’s exactly when it can make connections it has never made before, find the solution to a problem or come up with a new idea. Salvador Dalí used this very trick when he was looking for inspiration for his paintings.

I mentioned it above, but quality sleep is also essential for your body to work properly and for you to be productive at all. Pulling all-nighters is not a good long-term strategy. Instead, make sure you have the peace and comfort you need to sleep well.

Last but not least, get away from the office and from work for a few days. Time in nature will recharge you, and when you come back you’ll breeze through the work waiting for you and stay effective while you do it. Pick a quiet, beautiful, peaceful place, ideally one with a pool or a spa, such as Ruskovets resort & SPA in Bulgaria.

Sometimes less work really can make us more productive. So don’t underestimate the power of a good rest!