The power of rest and recovery
Apr 17, 2023VICTORIA BROWN | APRIL 2023
Hey there, you busy bee! As a leader, you probably have a long list of "to-dos" - you're responsible for making big decisions, inspiring your team, and keeping everything running smoothly. But amidst all the chaos, have you forgotten to take care of yourself? We get it, taking time off can feel like a luxury you can't afford, but trust me leaders need rest, so do our teams.
The Problem with Overworking
You know that feeling when you've been running on fumes for so long that even your coffee cup is judging you? Yeah, that's what happens when you overwork yourself. On one hand, because you're working so much, it feels like you're getting more done, but you're sacrificing quality for quantity - and you're also sacrificing your brain and bodily health. Overworking can lead to some serious negative consequences, like burnout, health problems, and decreased performance. And tbh, nobody wants to work with a grumpy, exhausted leader who's making questionable decisions.
As leaders, it can feel like if we stop and take a rest, it's going to negatively impact our team's performance or cause us to fall behind on important projects. We might feel pressure to constantly be available and responsive, especially in today's digital age. This can make it hard for us to disconnect and truly relax during our time off. We might even feel guilty or like we're not working hard enough if we take a break. Prioritising rest and recovery time is essential for our well-being and the well-being of our team. By taking breaks and setting an example for our people, we can create a healthy and productive work environment that values self-care and work-life balance.
Benefits of Rest and Recovery for Leaders
Rest and recovery time isn't just an excuse to binge-watch Netflix (although we won't judge if that's your idea of self-care). It's actually essential for your brain and body to function at their best. When you take a break, you're giving your brain time to recharge and process all the information you've been cramming in there.
When you take a break and rest, your brain gets to kick off its shoes, sip on a fancy drink, and just chill out for a bit. But it's not just relaxing - it's doing important work behind the scenes. When you're not actively focused on a task, your brain goes into a mode called "resting state." In this mode, your brain is still active, but it's not focused on any one thing in particular. Instead, it's taking the time to process and consolidate all the information you've been taking in. Think of it like a filing system - your brain is organising all the files and putting them in their proper place. This can help you remember things better and make connections between different pieces of information. You'll be able to think more creatively and make better decisions. Creating down time can also improve your emotional intelligence, making it easier to connect with your team and understand their needs. Then when you come back to a task after resting, your brain will be more focused and ready to tackle it. So when we take a rest, we're actually making an investment into our performance.
Recovery during the work day
Look at your work calendar - do you have any time to breathe during your meetings and calls? Do you have time to recover after the end of a big presentation or project? Yo've only got finite energy each day, so allocate and use it wisely. Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab conducted an incredible study in 2021 which showed the importance of finding time to rest between meetings. "In two straight hours of back-to-back meetings, the average activity of beta waves—those associated with stress—increased over time. In other words, the stress kept accumulating. But when participants were given a chance to rest using meditation, beta activity dropped, allowing for a “reset.” This reset meant participants started their next meeting in a more relaxed state. It also meant the average level of beta waves held steady through four meetings, with no buildup of stress even as four video calls continued. The antidote to meeting fatigue is simple: taking short breaks."
Image Source: Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab
Here are some things that I like to do to ensure I have recovery time for myself during the day
- ⏰ Book meetings that are only 20 minutes or 45 minutes, so I have that 10 or 15 minutes before the next one if I'm back to back. People tend to expand the content to fit the meeting time, so if you book a 60 minute meeting, it will be 60 minutes.
- ⏱️ Stick to meeting times. Push for action steps towards the end of the meeting and politely find ways to keep the agenda moving. If you have people in your team who are constantly pushing meetings over time, make this a coaching priority for you.
- 🧐 Use my self awareness. When I'm feeling like I'm pushing too hard to get through a project or task and it *feels* hard, I grab a break. 5 minute walk, go get a drink, meditate. Just find the space and take a rest. Then I know when I get back to the work I'm going to be coming back better and stronger.
Recovery outside the work day
To be able to rest and relax in the evening and on the weekends, you need to set yourself boundaries to ensure you actually check out of 'work mode' and you also need to intentionally lock in activities or time to rest. When we rest for longer periods of time away from work, like on the weekends or during holidays, our brains have the opportunity to fully recharge and reset. During these extended periods of rest, our brains can engage in a process called "synaptic pruning," which is when the brain gets rid of unnecessary connections between neurons. This helps to streamline our thought processes and improve overall cognitive function. When we take longer breaks from work, we have more time to engage in activities that promote relaxation and stress reduction, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones. This can lead to decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and an overall improvement in mood and well-being. Longer periods of rest also allow for more deep and restorative sleep, which is essential for cognitive function, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. So, while it's important to take short breaks throughout the workday to rest and recharge, longer periods of rest away from work are essential for optimal brain function and overall well-being.
Here are some things I want you to reflect on for yourself
- How can you set clear boundaries between your work and your personal life? Log out of work accounts at 6p on Fridays for example if they are on your personal computer or mobile phone so you don't get notifications which pull you back into workmode.
- What activities do you like to do in your downtime? It's different for everyone, some of us need to get social and hang with others, some of us need quiet time and more low-energy recovery tasks like reading. Find what works for you and dedicate time to it every weekend. You can find out more about what you need as part of the Science Of Self profiling tool, as a resource on it's own or as part of the Epic Leader program.
- When's your next holiday? Book something in, even if it's months and months away - your mental health will thank you. Research shows that even the act of booking and planning a holiday means we feel better "about our social situation, economic means, our state of health, and life in general."
Don't forget to role model!
When we intentionally take action to rest and recover, with the aim to improve our overall wellness and ensure our performance is maintained or improves - we show our teams that this is what we expect from them too.
Questions to ask yourself, or even discuss with your team.
- 🔮 What does your team culture value more - overworking OR taking a break?
- 🌀 Do we respect people's boundaries when they aren't at work?
- 🐳 What could we do to prioritise performance?
Other thought starters for you...
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