The Key to Being a Productive and Healthy Person That DOESN'T Involve Doing More

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."  -- Anne Lamott

Just as I sat down to write this article, my internet suddenly stopped working.  I tried reloading a couple of times thinking it might be the website I was trying to load, but in the end I unplugged it for a minute, then plugged it back in.  After about ten minutes, I had service again.

Are modems and humans similar?  Not too much, except that taking a ten minute break will increase your productivity, too.  Read on to find out why I schedule regular ten minute breaks through out my day and schedule breaks during the rest of the year as well.

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Do you have breaks scheduled into your days, weeks, months, and year?

When you feel like you're running so fast that you can barely keep up, sometimes stepping out of the race (temporarily) is exactly what you need to do to find your power to finish strong.

Our society rewards pushing hard and never giving up.  And both those things are super important -- nothing gets done unless someone actually DOES the work.

But there's another saying:

"To every thing there is a season..."

Taking time to rest lends itself to increased productivity

Essentially, if you push hard (mentally or physically), you also need to make time to rest just as "hard" so you can power back up again.

Taking time to rest has absolutely NOTHING to do with being lazy or unproductive.  In fact, it's a KEY part of being a productive and healthy person

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In fact, in the two one-hour sessions I spend with my private clients with a theme of productivity, quite a lot of it is teaching them how to strategically take breaks during their work days.

One involves taking a ten minute break every 50 minutes, and another involves using that break for a three minute meditation.  You would be amazed at how much more energy you have if you spend a few minutes stretching, meditating, or just walking to get a glass of water!

In fact, I regularly tell my clients that the goal isn't to get more done in less time so that you can do more.  The goal is to use your time efficiently so that you can have more time to take care of yourself in whatever way brings you joy, whether it's spending more time with your family, or going to a yoga class.

When you take a break, whether a break during the day, a weekend, or a vacation, you come back more inspired, with fresh ideas to make improvements, and with more energy to take on your day.

A year or so ago, I read a book called, Rest:  Why You Get More Done by Doing Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.  One of the examples he gave was Charles Darwin, who went on long walks each day to fuel his creativity. 

More recently, my mentor, Kate Northrup, wrote a book called, Do Less:  A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy for Busy Moms.

She details studies around the world where workers are shown to be more productive when they are expected to work fewer hours.

Everyday ways to unplug

What are some ways to power down?  And I don't mean vegging on the couch and bingeing an entire season of a show on Netflix.

For some people, it might mean doing something fun, like playing softball or tennis, going skiing or swimming, or hitting a flea market to poke around for unique finds.

More ways to unplug:

• Take a relaxing bath.
• Get a massage or other bodywork.
• Read a book.
• Go for a walk or get outside for some fresh air.
• Play with your kids or pets.
• Do something creative:  play music, woodwork, cook, anything crafty, etc.
• Go to a movie.
• Garden or work on your yard.
• Rent an Airbnb for a weekend and get away for a bit (even somewhere local)!
• Take a nap.

This isn't rocket science -- it's more about giving yourself the permission to just BE.

What's something you could do this week to disconnect and recharge?  Comment below.