Rest Is Best

Audio By Carbonatix

I just ran into a friend who informed me that one of his daughters is really sick. He recognizes that part of the problem is she’s so run down. This family, like my family, is one that stays on the go. In a world with all kinds of equipment and gadgets that are supposed to help us be more efficient and allow us more free time, we seem to continue to run in a thousand different directions.

Doctors and psychologists will tell you that rest is essential for good health. They teach us that getting eight to ten hours of sleep per night greatly increases our ability to function emotionally, mentally, and physically. According to a Harvard study I read about online, a regular afternoon nap could reduce the risk of cardiac death by 37 percent. The benefit was most pronounced for working men who napped at least 30 minutes a day, three days a week. Their risk of cardiac death was lowered by 64 percent in relation to the peers who did not nap. The study also indicated that even a five-minute power snooze a few times a week offered both men and women a 12 percent reduction in heart risk. In places like Greece, Italy, and Spain, it is common for businesses to close up shop in mid-afternoon and for society as a whole to take a rest. They conclude that the payoff can be renewed energy for the rest of the day, and perhaps a healthier heart.

The thought of closing down a business to nap sounds ludicrous to most American business people. But time and time again, researchers are proving the benefits of rest. I would challenge you today to think about what kind of a rest schedule you have—if you have one at all. If you are one of those people who has quickly fallen into the category of “if I work harder, perhaps even work seven days a week, I’ll get so much further ahead and then I’ll be able to take a break,” I’m here to tell you it’s not reality. Many of the seven-day-a-week work people are six feet under way too quick.  

One of the best ways to address this is to look at your calendar and determine whether you are getting enough rest. There is no one else to blame but yourself if you or your family are continuously overbooked. You are the ones who control your own calendar and it’s possible you and your family will have to learn to say no so that you can build in down time throughout the day, week, and month.  

I think it’s important that each of us recognize our limits and learn to operate within those boundaries. When you don’t have enough rest, you don’t perform at an optimal level, and you don’t think clearly, which may be why your family is not winning at home. Take some steps today to rest. Talk to people around you who can hold you accountable and just build it into your calendar. By choosing to rest, you will gain in life and win at home.