If You Want To Be More Productive, You Need More Rest. Here's How To Get It. | Claudia Hammond
Claudia Hammond, an award-winning broadcaster, author, and psychology lecturer, discusses defining rest, the health risks of fatigue, and how to overcome guilt to weave more rest into your day. She shares practical advice and insights from her research on the most restful activities.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
The Cultural Obsession with Busyness and Rest
Defining Wakeful Rest vs. Sleep
The Impact of Guilt on Restful Activities
Watching TV as a Restful Activity (in Moderation)
The Rest Test: A Global Study on Rest
Health Risks of Fatigue and Benefits of Breaks
Breaks as a Process, Not Just a Reward
Rest in the Age of AI and Emotional Intelligence
The 10 Most Popular Forms of Rest
Mindfulness and its Relationship to Rest
Daydreaming and the Brain's Resting State
Heat Therapies for Rest and Stress Reduction
Movement and Exercise as Restful Activities
Reading as the Number One Restful Activity
Practical Advice for Incorporating More Rest
The Power of Saying No and Creating a Rest Box
5 Key Concepts
Wakeful Rest
This refers to an activity that leaves an individual feeling restored and revitalized, distinct from sleep or napping. It doesn't necessarily mean sitting or lying down doing nothing; it can involve engaging in an activity if that activity is personally found to be restful.
Guilty Couch Potato Effect
This describes the phenomenon where individuals who feel guilty about engaging in a restful activity, such as watching TV, do not experience the same restful and relaxing benefits as those who feel less guilty. Guilt can negate the restorative power of a break.
Micro Breaks
These are very short breaks, even as brief as two minutes, taken throughout the day. Research indicates that even these brief pauses can help reset concentration, improve overall well-being, and make a workday feel less taxing.
Resting State (Brain)
Contrary to earlier beliefs, the brain does not 'rest' when not actively engaged in a task; instead, it becomes highly active in an organized way, involving specific brain regions (default mode networks). This state often involves mind-wandering and is thought to be crucial for organizing thoughts, consolidating memories, and making connections.
Bibliotherapy
This concept suggests that reading, particularly complex or puzzling stories, can be used as a therapeutic tool. It can provide pain relief by requiring deep concentration, improve empathy, and serve as a valuable 'jumping-off point' for beneficial daydreaming, thereby supporting mental health.
13 Questions Answered
Historically, leisure time was a status symbol, but this has reversed, with busyness now often serving as a proxy for success and importance, a shift evident in social media and everyday conversations.
Rest, as defined in the discussion, refers to 'wakeful rest' – activities performed while awake that leave one feeling restored and revitalized, unlike sleep which involves different mental states.
Yes, research suggests that individuals who feel more guilty about resting, such as watching TV, do not experience the same restful and relaxing benefits as those who feel less guilty.
Yes, for many people, watching TV can be restful as it provides distraction, offers engaging stories, and can be a communal activity that doesn't require constant interaction, though excessive viewing (over five hours daily) may be linked to lower well-being.
Fatigue leads to memory lapses, blunted emotions, difficulty concentrating, and misjudgments, while even micro-breaks (two minutes) can reset cognitive function, boost concentration, and increase resilience, making work more effective.
While socializing can be enjoyable, being with others requires constant monitoring of their needs and expressions, which can be taxing; alone time allows individuals to switch off from these social demands and truly relax.
They should carefully choose activities for their mandated breaks that are truly refreshing, make the most of micro-breaks (even two minutes), and reframe 'wasted time' (like waiting in line) as enforced restful moments.
It depends on the individual and the content; if phone use genuinely refreshes and distracts from worries, it can be beneficial, but if it feels like work or leaves one feeling just as tired, it's not the best use of break time.
Daydreaming can be restful when it involves creative problem-solving or wondering about the world, but it becomes unhelpful if it leads to rumination about flaws or worries; strategies like setting aside specific 'worry time' can help manage negative thoughts.
Hot baths, particularly around 40 degrees Celsius, have been shown to reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone) and can be as effective as aerobics in treating depression, also aiding sleep if taken about an hour before bed as body temperature falls.
For some, exercise provides mental rest by exerting the body enough to quiet a 'whirring' mind, and walking, in particular, is seen as restful because its pace is distracting enough to prevent boredom but slow enough for the mind to wander.
Reading allows for escape into other worlds, fosters empathy and reflection, provides alone time with 'company' that can be paused at will, and serves as a jumping-off point for beneficial daydreaming, offering multifaceted mental benefits.
Individuals should remind themselves of rest's benefits to combat guilt, make the most of micro-breaks, reframe wasted time as restful, accept that to-do lists are endless, and create a personalized 'prescription for rest' by identifying and building in personally refreshing activities.
26 Actionable Insights
1. Overcome Rest Guilt
Actively work on overcoming any guilt associated with resting, as guilt diminishes the restful benefits and makes the activity less effective for restoration.
2. Prioritize Rest for Well-being
Prioritize rest not just for productivity, but as a fundamental human need essential for mental health, lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, and increased concentration and resilience.
3. Integrate Breaks as Process
View breaks not as a reward to be earned after completing tasks, but as an integral part of the work process that improves performance and well-being.
4. Create Personal Rest Prescription
Identify and choose specific activities that you personally find restful and revitalizing, as the most effective forms of rest vary significantly from individual to individual.
5. Reframe Wasted Time as Rest
When faced with enforced waiting or delays (e.g., queuing, late trains), intentionally reframe this ‘wasted time’ as an unexpected opportunity for a guilt-free break to observe the world or simply do nothing.
6. Improve Capacity to Say No
Practice saying no to future commitments by imagining if you had to fulfill them next week; if it feels overwhelming, consider declining the commitment even if it’s months away to protect your well-being.
7. Embrace Micro-Breaks
Incorporate even very short breaks (e.g., two minutes) throughout your day, as these micro-breaks can reset your focus, improve concentration, and contribute to higher overall well-being.
8. Manage Daydreaming for Rest
Engage in daydreaming as a restful activity, focusing on positive wonderings or future scenarios, and be mindful to avoid it devolving into negative rumination about past mistakes or worries.
9. Utilize Heat Therapies
Incorporate heat therapies like hot baths or saunas into your routine, as they have been shown to reduce cortisol levels and contribute to feelings of rest and relaxation.
10. Engage in Restful Movement
Consider certain forms of movement and exercise, such as walking or jogging, as restful activities that can help quiet a busy mind and provide physical and mental benefits without guilt.
11. Accept Endless To-Do List
Accept that your to-do list will likely never be fully completed, which can reduce the pressure to constantly achieve and allow for more guilt-free rest.
12. Practice Mindfulness/Meditation
Engage in mindfulness, meditation, or prayer, as these practices force you to set aside time, stop forward momentum, and calm thoughts, leading to a state of rest.
13. Prioritize Reading for Rest
Make reading a priority for rest, as it allows for escape, fosters empathy, provides ‘alone with company’ time, and can serve as a jumping-off point for positive daydreaming.
14. Spend Time in Nature
Actively seek out opportunities to spend time in nature, which is widely recognized as a highly restful and restorative activity.
15. Seek Chosen Alone Time
Intentionally schedule and protect time to be alone, as this allows you to disengage from the taxing effort of monitoring others’ needs and expressions.
16. Listen to Music for Rest
Incorporate listening to music into your breaks, as it is a restful activity that can effectively distract and calm the mind.
17. Practice Doing Nothing
Allow yourself periods of ‘doing nothing in particular,’ as this is a recognized and effective form of rest that enables the mind to slow down.
18. Take Regular Walks
Go for regular walks, as this activity provides a good balance of distraction and mental wandering, benefiting both physical and mental health without inducing guilt.
19. Enjoy Hot Baths
Take a nice hot bath, a simple yet effective method for relaxation that can reduce stress hormone levels and provide a sense of calm.
20. Watch TV in Moderation
Watch TV in moderation, choosing high-quality content that genuinely distracts and entertains you without guilt, but be mindful to avoid excessive viewing (e.g., over five hours daily).
21. Evaluate Phone Use for Rest
Consciously evaluate if using your phone during breaks is genuinely refreshing; if it leaves you feeling just as tired, choose alternative, more restorative activities.
22. Schedule Worry Time
If you find yourself ruminating excessively, try setting aside a specific time each day to write down and address your worries, allowing other times for more positive mental states.
23. Take Hot Showers Before Bed
Take a hot shower approximately 30-60 minutes before going to bed, as the subsequent drop in body temperature can aid in falling asleep.
24. Create a ‘Box of Rest’
Assemble a ‘box of rest’ containing items that inspire and facilitate your chosen restful activities, such as a book, knitting, or bubble bath, for easy access when you need inspiration or a quick break.
25. Schedule Breaks in Diary
Explicitly schedule breaks in your diary or calendar, even disguising them if necessary in shared work schedules, to ensure they are taken and protected.
26. Intentional Break Activities
If you have limited control over your schedule, make intentional choices about how to spend your mandated break times, dedicating at least 15 minutes to an activity you find genuinely refreshing.
6 Key Quotes
If you want to be more productive, you need more rest.
Dan Harris
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
Socrates (quoted by Claudia Hammond)
I'd say the essential ingredient for true rest is an activity that distracts you from everyday concerns, allows your mind to slow down, gives you a break from other people and is guilt free.
Claudia Hammond
This is protecting my mental health. I wouldn't feel guilty if I went for a run, which protects your physical health and your mental health. So I shouldn't feel guilty about this either.
Claudia Hammond
A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.
Dan Harris (referencing a Harvard study)
I read a book and I wait for the dust to settle. It will return, but differently.
Virginia Woolf (quoted by Claudia Hammond)
2 Protocols
Personal Prescription for Rest
Claudia Hammond- Remember the benefits of rest for well-being and mental health to combat guilt.
- Make the most of micro-breaks, even two minutes, by engaging in fun, distracting activities like doodling or staring out a window.
- Reframe 'wasted time' (e.g., waiting in line, delayed transport) as enforced restful moments.
- Accept that your to-do list will never truly end, and prioritize tasks realistically.
- Observe yourself to identify specific 10-15 minute activities that genuinely make you feel refreshed and restored.
- Build these chosen restful activities into your life positively, without feeling guilty.
- Improve your capacity to say 'no' to future commitments by considering how you would feel if you had to do them next week.
- Consider creating a 'box of rest' containing items (e.g., knitting, a book, bubble bath) that inspire and facilitate relaxation when needed.
Worry Management Strategy
Claudia Hammond (referencing Ad Kirkoff)- Set aside a particular time each day specifically for worrying.
- During this designated worry time, sit down and write down all your worries.
- If worries arise at other times during the day, consciously tell yourself to save them for your scheduled worry time.