---
title: The most productive people prioritize intentional rest
created: 2024-11-18T09:18:12
modified: 2025-10-14T18:10:31
---

> _“Rest until you feel like playing, then play until you feel like resting.” — Martha Beck_

> _“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock, The Use of Life ​​_

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Taking breaks helps to [get most of your work done outside of work.](https://timdenning.com/ten-unconventional-productivity-tips-that-got-me-back-10-hours-a-week/)

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Structured, deliberate pauses are beneficial, unlike random interruptions that drain motivation. Plan for breaks [^1] that build momentum and maintain a clear path for returning.

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It’s important to take time to [sharpen the saw](https://sketchplanations.com/sharpen-the-saw).

# The Two Woodcutters

This is a well-known metaphor for the importance of taking time to “sharpen your saw,” a concept introduced by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

[@covey7HabitsHighly2013]

> Once upon a time, there were two woodcutters who were hired to cut down trees in the forest. The first woodcutter worked nonstop, chopping down tree after tree with all his strength. The second woodcutter, however, took regular breaks and spent time sharpening his saw, while the first woodcutter kept hacking away without pausing.
>
> As time went on, the first woodcutter became increasingly exhausted, yet he kept going, convinced that working harder and longer would get him the best results. The second woodcutter, on the other hand, took the time to rest and maintain his tools, believing that the efficiency gained from sharpening his saw would save him time and effort in the long run.
>
> At the end of the day, when both woodcutters stood back to assess their work, the second woodcutter had cut down far more trees. The first woodcutter, although he had worked harder, had not been as productive because his saw had become dull, and he had not taken the time to maintain his tools.

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Sometimes the best way to recharge is to unplug.

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Build a daily ritual that allows you to _create space to think_ and _wrestle with questions_.

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There’s a simple formula for identifying the highest leverage relaxation for yourself = Energy produced ÷ Time it takes

* If rest increases your output per unit of time, then it was productive.

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放鬆不是懶惰，而是一種對身心界線的尊重。

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⭐️ Stop treating rest as a reward and start treating it as a critical/essential part of your high performance routine.

* Rest is not a reward for [hard work](Work%20hard.md); it’s a requirement for it.
* Breaks aren’t a special treat. They’re an absolute necessity.
* Replace the label “relaxing” or “relaxation” with “recovery,” so you don’t view it as wasted time. Think of _relaxing_ as _recovery_ because it very much is.
* To achieve peak performance, master the art of deliberate/strategic rest

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Learn to _rest_, not to _quit_. The Last Man Standing is often the winner.

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Properly break in your breaks — no sneaky working.

> _“If you keep interrupting your evening to check and respond to e-mail, or put aside a few hours after dinner to catch up on an approaching deadline, you’re robbing your directed attention centers of the uninterrupted rest they need for restoration. Even if these work dashes consume only a small amount of time, they prevent you from reaching the levels of deeper relaxation in which attention restoration can occur. Only the confidence that you’re done with work until the next day can convince your brain to downshift to the level where it can begin to recharge for the next day to follow. Put another way, trying to squeeze a little more work out of your evenings might reduce your effectiveness the next day enough that you end up getting less done than if you had instead respected a shutdown.” — [@newportDeepWorkRules2016]_

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# Prioritize Downtime

* Downtime replenishes our ability to practice [deep work](deep-work.md).
* Downtime improves our thinking.
* Downtime refuels our mind.
* Downtime amplifies our focus.
* Downtime deserves [time management](Time%20Management.md) too.

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# The 7 Types of Rest [^2]

proposed by [Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith](https://www.drdaltonsmith.com/)

* **Physical Rest**
	* Can be passive (sleeping, napping) or active (yoga, stretching, massage).
* **Mental Rest**
	* Take short breaks between tasks and meetings, create a power-down ritual to separate work from personal, meditate.
* **Sensory Rest**
	* Turn off social media, get away from screens and bright lights, switch from Zoom to phone call.
* **Creative Rest**
	* Can be natural (taking in a sunrise/sunset, walking in the woods) or man-made (going to a museum, experiencing new music).
* **Emotional Rest**
	* Spend time alone or with people with whom you can be your full, authentic self.
* **Social Rest**
	* Spend less time with people who drain your energy and more time with people who give you energy.
* **Spiritual Rest**
	* Connect with something bigger than yourself. Can be through volunteering, working on a purpose-driven job, or participating in spiritual or faith-based activities.

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[Kaffikok](https://sketchplanations.com/kaffikok) is a charming term from the Sámi people of northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It combines the words for “coffee” and “boil” to describe the distance/interval between coffee breaks during activities like hiking or traveling. More than just a measure of distance, it reflects the cultural value of taking mindful pauses during journeys to rest, savor the moment, connect with others, and enjoy a warm drink, often prepared communally in nature.

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**Fika** is a cherished Swedish tradition of taking a break—usually once or twice a day—to enjoy coffee and a light snack like pastries or sandwiches, often in the company of others. More than just a coffee break, fika emphasizes slowing down, connecting with people, and creating a moment of calm and joy in daily life. It’s deeply embedded in Swedish culture, including workplace routines, and reflects values of balance, mindfulness, and community.

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Calm down and chill out by taking advantage of [The Diver Reflex](The%20Diver%20Reflex.md):

1. Find a large bowl, or just use your sink.
2. Fill it with icy water.
3. Next, while holding your breath, plunge your face into the water for 30 seconds, then take your head out of the water.
4. Repeat the dunking process again.

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# CALM Activities

[@abdaalFeelGoodProductivityHow2024]

## Definition

The best way to rest is all about _feeling calm_. Or rather, CALM. Find an activity or project that makes you feel **Competent**, **Autonomous**, **Liberated** and **Mellow**.

## Types

* CALM Hobbies - with no end in sight (open-ended)
* CALM Projects - with clear beginning and end points

## Examples

* Painting
* Coding
	* Creating a text-based role-playing game
* Quilting

## Principles

1. **Keep them separate from work.** - Maintain clear boundaries between CALM activities and professional responsibilities, with no.
	* Set a regular schedule or time block.
	* Use a dedicated space or environment.
2. **Focus on the process, not results.** - Engage in these activities for their own sake/purity—not for any high-stake goals and free from external rewards, validation, or pressures.
3. **Protect them from becoming “work.”** - Avoid turning your hobbies into side hustles or businesses. Preserve their role as restful, relaxed, and self-directed joys.
	* Supporting Study [@lepperUnderminingChildrensIntrinsic1973]
		* In 1973, Stanford psychology researcher Dr. Mark Lepper conducted a field experiment with preschool children to test the “overjustification” hypothesis.
		* Children who initially showed intrinsic interest in drawing were divided into three groups:  
			1. <u>Expected Reward</u>: Children were told they would receive a reward for drawing.
			2. <u>Unexpected Reward</u>: Children received a reward after drawing, without prior notice.
			3. <u>No Reward</u>: Children engaged in drawing without any mention of a reward.
		* Two weeks later, researchers observed the children’s free-choice drawing activity. The findings revealed that children in the **expected reward** group showed significantly less interest in drawing compared to the other groups. This suggests that the anticipation of a reward can undermine intrinsic motivation.
		* This study underscores the importance of engaging in CALM activities for the sheer enjoyment they provide. Introducing external incentives can shift the focus from intrinsic satisfaction to extrinsic outcomes, potentially diminishing the original joy derived from the activity.
	* Three strategies for escaping The Passion Paradox:
		1. Keep play as play.
		2. Let work be work.
		3. Make work more playful.

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* Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab published a piece titled _[“Research Proves Your Brain Needs Breaks”](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/brain-research)_ in its WorkLab blog, summarizing a study of 14 participants doing video meetings wearing EEG caps.
* They studied 14 participants across two days of video meetings, with Day 1 comprised of four back-to-back 30-minute meetings and Day 2 comprised of four 30-minute meetings with 10-minute breaks in between.
* **Takeaway: The breaks increased performance significantly.**
	* It reports that during the no-break condition, “the average activity of beta waves … increased over time,” whereas with breaks the beta level “held steady” across meetings. 
	* It also mentions that brainwave patterns showed positive **frontal alpha asymmetry** [^2] in the break condition (associated with greater engagement), and negative asymmetry under no breaks.

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# See Also

* [Slow Down to Speed Up](slow-down-to-speed-up.md)
* [The Reitoff Principle](The%20Reitoff%20Principle.md)

[^1]: Either doing _nothing_ or _unplanned energizing distractions / unrelated activities_
[^2]: A brain state connected to levels of engagement