Rest: The Ultimate Productivity Hack

Let’s be real: If we could track our rest on a Fitbit and get a gold star for every hour of downtime, we’d probably relax more. But since rest doesn’t come with a productivity report or a “Congrats on Unplugging!” badge, we tend to undervalue it.

Here’s the wild part: Rest is productive. It helps with memory, mood, creativity, and wait for it, actually makes you better at your job/life/relationships. It’s like turning your phone off and back on again. Your brain needs the same treatment.

Think of rest as charging your internal battery. You wouldn’t yell at your phone for being at 2% and expect it to run three Zoom meetings and make dinner reservations. So why do we expect that from ourselves?

Reflection Tips:

1. Notice when you’re running on fumes. Do you find yourself rereading the same email three times? Snapping at a loved one over crumbs? You’re not failing. You’re depleted. Step away, breathe, take 10. Your nervous system will thank you.

2. Ask yourself: What does real rest feel like to me? Not what Instagram influencers say it is. Maybe it’s laughing with a friend, lying under a tree, or floating in a pool like a human otter. Find your flavor of restoration and lean into it.

3. Use summer as a soft reset. Don’t wait for burnout. Let this season be a pause button, a gentle reminder to do less, not more. Create rituals of rest, a weekly “sit and stare” hour, hammock time, even a no-errands Sunday. Rest is a form of self-respect.

Here’s your new mantra: I don’t have to earn my rest. I am worthy of rest, simply because I exist.

So go on. Put your feet up. Ditch the guilt. Let summer hold you. Productivity will still be there in September, probably with a pumpkin spice latte and way too many meetings.