Rest: The Key to Productivity
When teachers come to me feeling burnt out, the first thing they say they need is rest. Hear, hear! The job of a teacher truly is never done and it is so important to take time to rest. But when teachers come to me wanting to make big changes in their career, they rarely say that they need to rest. Instead, they list all the things they need to do. Hard work is definitely a part of making change, but it’s not the only factor. No matter if we are feeling overworked or we want to head down a new professional path (one often leads to another), rest is key.
I learned this lesson the hard way and, honestly, I’m still learning it. When I was teaching, I worked so hard all the time. It was completely unsustainable. I started suffering from health issues (mental and physical) because I constantly put my students and my work above my own needs. I eventually left the classroom to create a more flexible and sustainable life, but found myself falling into the same patterns of working all the time. I began working in curriculum design so I could stay home with my young kids and work during small pockets of time. But soon I found myself putting my kids to bed, feeling exhausted, and working late into the night. I started to feel burnt out all over again. I wanted to build a more sustainable life, but it was becoming more and more exhausting.
This changed when I started seeing rest in a new way. Instead of a luxury, I realized it was a necessity. I noticed that the nights when I decided to go to bed or read a book instead of burning the midnight oil caused me to wake up refreshed. In the work time I had the next day, I was able to be way more productive. This pattern kept emerging. The more time I took off, giving my brain a full break from work, the more I was able to accomplish. I realized that not only is rest necessary for our well being, but it actually can make us more productive.
Brain science backs this up. Our brains are actually working, making connections, and learning while we rest. Through rest, we can increase productivity, focus, and even increase creativity. Sign me up! The next time you’re feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by your to-do list, I encourage you to embrace the power of rest. Take a deep breath and just walk away. Take a nap, meditate, go for a walk, and tune into what your body needs. Listening to our bodies, instead of ignoring them, can be the best we can be.
