Rest

It took me a long time to overcome the social pressure of sleeping.  People all around me brag about how little sleep they get, about how long and hard they work, and it’s a badge of honor to be perpetually exhausted. 

That’s just dumb, and not sustainable. 

It ends in misery and disaster for each and every one of them.  They aren’t happy, and not only that, they make everyone around them miserable too.

How do I know this?  That was me, speaking from experience.  I was miserable, and not able to function.  I thought I was doing it and was better for it, but in retrospect, it just took me longer to do the same things that if I was fully rested, would have taken a fraction of the time.

It literally took a metal pipe to the head to make me realize what I was doing was wrong.  After my concussion, all I could do was sleep.  I could only work for 15 minutes, then sleep 45.  It was that way for months.  All day, every day.  It was everything I could do to get to 5 PM, have dinner, then go to bed.  Only to have it start all over again the next day.

I used to think that a lack of sleep was a good thing, but then I realized that good sleep and rest is everything.  Without it, nothing else is the same.  Just ask the parents of any newborn.  Sleep is life.

Now my perspective has changed.  I don’t idolize those who are working themselves to the bone, I idolize those who get so much done in such an efficient way they have lots of time on their hands to have naps, and breaks. 

Ironically, I’ve discovered this is what enables them to be even more productive during their productive time.  The fact they have down time.  I now schedule in time during my day for breaks, and those times with myself are non-negotiable.  You have to decide what your priorities are, and make them happen.

There are tons of studies around performance athletes that show the rest times after training are where the biggest gains are made.  That’s where your torn and abused muscles repair and rebuild to be stronger tomorrow, or the next time you compete.  It’s the same with your brain.  You not only need to train, but you need to rest, and recover.  Sleep and naps are the key to this process.

Get some rest.  You’ll thank yourself for it tomorrow.