Why Rest & Play Matter
Two people in red tee shirts and two in blue tee shirts play a ring toss game in a park. Credit: RDNE, Pexels.
Whether or not you're World Cup fan, you're may be feeling an urge to kick back a little this summer.
It's a healthy impulse. Healthier and more important than you might realize.
Our work-obsessed culture doesn't put enough emphasis on rest and play. As you know, the country is facing a burnout epidemic that hurts us personally and undermines the health and effectiveness of our organizations.
Constant Productivity Is a Myth
A new Psychology Today article makes a strong business case for why rest matters. Among its key points:
The pressure to “perform productivity" can lead people to avoid the very resources that would optimize it
Stories about "hard work" can undermine organizational goals and wellness investments
You can have the appearance of productivity or actual productivity. You probably can't have both(emphasis added).
Research demonstrates that people who consistently produce good results actually work in focused intervals, separated by regular breaks. They don’t sustain their output by constantly engaging with a task (or tasks) throughout the day.
“Most people can only do a limited amount of peak cognitive work in a day; the expectation of eight uninterrupted hours of top-level thinking is not based on science,” the author Tasha Golden, a behavioral scientist, writes.
Studies indicate that we need time away from a task, along with genuine rest and play to restore our brainpower and energy. That way, when we return to our task, we’re able to access fresh ideas, maintain our focus and produce quality results.
Some of these studies show increased productivity of teams working 4-day work weeks, a subject I wrote about here.
How the Myth of Productivity Undermines Output
In her article, Golden describes a study she conducted that’s highly relevant for today's leaders.
A tech company installed “restoration spaces” — specially designed rooms with outdoor views, soft natural light, plenty of indoor plants and comfortable seating. Leaders invited employees to leave their devices and work at their desks and spend some time in the relaxation spaces to reduce stress and recover from mental fatigue.
Golden’s study showed 93% of staff who used them were highly satisfied with the spaces. Employees reported feeling calmer and less anxious, as well as clearer and better able to tackle their work after their breaks.
However, 20% of participants said they would feel guilty if they left their desk to take advantage of the special rooms during their regular workday.
The reason? They believed their colleagues and supervisors would see the use of the restoration spaces as slacking off, as if they weren't pulling their weight. Some said they’d be more comfortable if they saw their leaders using the restorative spaces, too.
Bottom line: The myths of hard work and what a hard worker looks like die hard. Deeply engrained old messages override newer science-backed messages telling us to rest and restore so we can be truly productive.
Leaders planning wellness retreats and well-being initiatives (spa days, gym memberships and maybe even a special “restoration space”) should understand the staying power of these long-held attitudes and the behaviors they drive.
If you're serious about shifting a grind-culture workplace into a healthier -- and measurably productive -- one, SHOW, don't just tell, employees that rest and relaxation matter.
What better time than summer to take those deferred vacations? It’s also a great time to formally incorporate play and rest breaks into the office routine.