Are you overwhelmed with juggling multiple responsibilities, trying to keep all the balls in the air? There seems to be something urgent to attend to that depends on you.
You might feel that you cannot afford to stop or slow down, but my friend, guess what? Yes, you can.
Allow me to introduce you to the power or STOPPING.
Stopping to reset is an underrated energy reset that makes all the difference to your hamster wheel that is taking you nowhere fast. Even God ordained a day of rest. Sabbath.
Even Stephen Covey has a whole chapter on this in the book about 7 Habits of of Highly Effective People – Sharpen the Saw.
Unplugging from normality is powerful for efficiency in your business and in life generally.
This could be time away from your home; like a break elsewhere, walking away from where you are and stilling the mind, sleeping, engaging in a hobby, or whatever it takes to pull away from the humdrum of life and routine.
The longer, the better. Ultimately, it is about stopping and resetting.
“I do not have the luxury to stop”, I hear you saying.
“I won’t do everything I have to do in time”, I see you rationalising.
I have found that resting has often delivered way more than I set out and it is from that place I am sharing this and attest to the value it has on boosting productivity.
Benefits from my experiences
Rejuvenation / Refreshment
When I have been tired, spent and the tank is running on low resting allows me to refuel. Just like a car’s warning light when the fuel is low, my signals flash until I pull myself away. This can be in the form of irritability, inhibited, creativity, or just all-round unproductivity.
Rest enables physical recovery and restoration of energy.
Intentional rest replenishes supplies and re-energises one, and with a repaired body and rejuvenated mind, you would definitely have your mojo back.
Refocus & Clarity
Coming out of operating on autopilot, after rest, I look back on where I was and find the main thing. This is the point at which I can see the wood from the trees and rise up above the weeds.
It is easy to move through life coasting and rest has often stopped me in my tracks and even got me out of the place of chasing my tail.
Finding the main thing allows me to be more purposeful towards my ambitions. Through rest arises opportunity for self-reflection leading to a better connection with yourself and greater clarity about goals and aspirations.
I have found myself in a better place, thinking about the bigger picture, seeing further, dreaming bigger and operating from a place of empowerment. A place where the world is my oyster, and possibilities are limitless.
How can this be, you might be wondering.
Well, when you rest, you give your mind the chance to recover from mental overload. Your brain gets a chance to process all the learning and memory therefore improving creativity and problem-solving capacity.
Peace
There is something about a peace that transcends unrest, current circumstances, and any sense of being unsettled. In the place of rest, comes acceptance of what is and total surrender.
Not that the source of unrest disappears, you are just better placed to be in it after rest.
This is because in a state of rest, stress hormones (cortisol) are reduced. While I am relaxed, my mood improves causing me to manage stress better, have a more positive outlook and muscle up emotional resilience.
Rest is key for successful wholesome living be it physically, mentally or spiritually. Productivity and efficiency sit on the shoulders of rest. I urge you to incorporate it in your toolkit as a key productivity hack.
HAPPY RESTING TO YOU!!
Irene Nambi Kafeero.
