Have we ever wondered what keeps us up and running on these long driving trails? The small rest stops that we take at the highway side restaurants to refuel not just our physical self but our mind as well. It gives us a pump of energy to continue the remaining journey with increased focus and energy. Similarly, taking small breaks in our daily, weekly schedule adds to increased productivity at work. Whether we are taking a few days off from our routine or driving our way to a holiday on a highway, rest stops can refuel a tired body and mind.
Today, we seem to be occupied with work or personal tasks all the time. Being busy and doing multiple things has often been associated to be more productive. While on the contrary, being productive is being able to achieve maximum results with minimal effort. What if, productivity is not the daily tasks you do, but the conscious choices you make each day including taking some rest to attain the desired goal.
Sometimes making the conscious choice to sleep eight hours might be the best thing to replenish your productivity in the morning. Or, taking a small break to connect with our loved ones during working hours are our intentional choices to regain the focus and boost productivity for achieving the goals.
What if, it’s designing these smaller rest stops and not the incessant work is what drives our productivity. And there is a study from OECD that supports how more working hours is the principal cause of less productivity. In fact, countries like Germany and France have mandated more than 30 days of vacation in a year, which supports the claim made on rest stops.
While designing these rest stops, we do not permanently have to leave our current life or take a sabbatical. A rest stop is a flexible strategy that enables us to take a day or few days off to simply take a breath from our busy schedule to revitalize our mind, body and spirit.
Rest stops imply, taking some time out of your busy schedule to simply enjoy your life as it is with things you love doing. It can be simply enjoying a day off with yourself or having a friends/family outing to relieve the stress and reenergize your worn-out productivity.
However, all of us can strive to at least take a day off every quarter and a few days off annually to go on a vacation or do whatever keeps us happy. We will realize how designing these smaller rest stops in our daily, weekly and monthly calendars from the routine will fill us with energy, creativity and clarity in mind so that when we resume work, we are more efficient and productive than ever.
So, travel, have fun and take a rest often!