I was listening to the latest Harvard Business Review Ideas Podcast on the way to work this morning. This podcast is one that would be dear to the hearts of all those productivity specialists out there because it is an interview with Tony Schwartz, author of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance (could that title be any longer?)
Tony talks about his experience with introducing work cycle rituals into corporate work places. Now like most productivity people he talks about how to get the most out of the time working BUT he also focuses on ensuring that what is done during the rest cycles is the most beneficial to the person performing the cycles. When asked directly was there anything that works for everyone in their rest cycle to regenerate energy quickly, he had to say nope.
He did point out what is NOT good in those rest periods. Doing email is one, and anything that is too close to the work that you are performing.
I had a quick think about how I rest during my cycles and I really think I can get more from doing something else. I know that if I get up and put the washing on and then come back to the desk that I feel more energised than if I open my Google reader. the combination of getting up and doing something physical gives me a better boost that slumping back in my chair and “resting”. How do you rest in your “down” cycles?
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Planned and executed my exit from the corporate world. Walked away with a 6 figure payment to boot.
Oooh that’s an interesting post. Doing emails in “rest” time isn’t restful….
I get outside and have lunch in the sun (if it’s out). At other times, I leave the computer off and do creative stuff; paint and made cards and glue stuff.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Expressive Art Workshops =-.
Welllll if the work cycles you are doing are ironing, then emails would probably be good as a rest break
But for those of us who are spending the hours in front of the keyboard….
Allison, I take breaks to:
do tai chi
walk the dog
do a bit of yoga
do household errands
I also try to take a 20-minute nap in the afternoon. It works wonders for me.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..New Design for Intelligent Productivity — Your Thoughts? =-.
Agreed! I think it is exactly what we should be doing to rest, in order to rest AND reset our minds and get back to work more efficiently. If you start opening your Google Reader during rest times, you end up going down this spiral of procrastination that is not stoppable by hitting alt-tab.
i really need a perfect rest.
hehe I’m guilty of checking e-mail and facebook during rest periods, and this is obviously close to my what i consider sort of worth which is blogging
I’ll try to keep it to a minimum!
I never thought about it, but you’re right. When I spend my breaks getting up and doing something I’m much more refreshed than when I spend time goofing around online.
.-= Richard Moldovanyi´s last blog ..Five Great Web Copywriting Blog Posts =-.
If I could just interject with a personal anecdote for a moment, one thing that can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep is your health. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about a year ago. Since I’ve been getting treatment for that, the improvements in my energy levels have been astounding. It’s a testament to the power of not just rest, but constructive rest.