Are you constantly pushing yourself to the limits of productivity? How important is rest in achieving a more balanced, creative, and fulfilled life?
Devon Price challenges conventional productivity wisdom in his book Laziness Does Not Exist, arguing that scheduled downtime isn’t laziness but a necessity for mental health and creativity. When you allow yourself periods of “unproductive” time, you’re fostering breakthrough ideas, improving problem-solving abilities, and reconnecting with your authentic self.
Let’s look at how embracing rest is one of the best productive decisions.
The Importance of Rest
How important is rest in everyday life? The attitude Price says to adjust is the thought that “wasting time” is a waste of time. Instead, it’s healthier to acknowledge that human beings can’t be productive every moment of the day. Building time in your schedule to simply do nothing can improve your mood, boost emotional healing, and make space for self-reflection and discovery. In this way, “wasted time” isn’t wasted at all—it’s productive in that it helps you build a healthier, more well-balanced you. If you’re constantly giving your all to your job, other people, and your daily grind, you’re missing out on yourself to the point that you can even lose track of who you really are.
The benefits of rest go beyond self-care. Downtime is essential for creativity and problem-solving. Price cites studies demonstrating that breakthrough ideas often come during periods of rest or distraction, not during focused work time. Many creative professionals back this up with anecdotes about having their best ideas while exercising, walking through a park, or detaching in some other way. These creative benefits even apply when people slack off at work. For example, research suggests that when employees take breaks to browse the internet on company time, it actually improves their productivity and helps them stay focused throughout the day.
| Productive Relaxation Even some productivity gurus agree with Price about the limits of productivity. In Deep Work, Cal Newport cites research showing that even the most productive people can only practice intense concentration for up to four hours per day. Also, according to Newport, downtime is productive for two reasons. First, he explains what Price observes about rest and problem-solving via the theory that your subconscious never stops working, and when you slow down, your unconscious mind becomes more effective than when you’re concentrating. Second, he admits that your ability to focus needs to be periodically recharged, so resting serves to make you more productive tomorrow once you’ve run out of fuel today. Though Price frames downtime as being somewhat idle, you can also relax actively, instead of passively. In Focus, Daniel Goleman suggests recharging your attention by getting fully lost in pleasurable activities that still engage all of your senses, like cooking, martial arts, and dancing. Likewise, in Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport argues that demanding activities are more rewarding than passive ones, so you should use more of your leisure time for activities such as exercise and creative hobbies that provide greater mental and physical benefits than idly passing the time. Both Goleman and Newport recommend unplugging from screen-based media as a way to begin. |
