The Critical Need for Intentional Rest

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There is something about the summer months that signifies a time to rest. While we know, of course, that those least able to rest are parents, there is something about summer that harkens back to school calendar rhythms. Summer is about taking a slower pace, time to reset and reconnect with family and friends. Or, at least, that’s what it feels like it should be.

The reality is as work expectations have steadily ramped up over time, opportunities to truly rest have diminished. And while there have always been roles—farmer, medical professional, service industry, just to name a few—that by necessity have maintained an always-on status, increasingly, there is little to distinguish those who have to be from those who choose to be. When everything takes on urgent status, when everything is a hustle, then nothing is. And even farmers will tell you that every field must have time to lie fallow, to rest and regenerate.

Our all-consuming work lives started well before the pandemic. But the increased pressure, both literally and figuratively, of “essential” versus “non-essential” work only added to that dynamic. The need to prove one’s worth as organizations sought to cut costs led to longer hours and attempts to demonstrate one’s productivity.

Now, rising inflation and the threat of recession and layoffs that are not matched with rising salaries are leading to an even greater need for more work, not less, just to keep up. It seems like we are all working ourselves towards a cliff we are destined to fall over, one way or another. It is beyond important that we build room for rest in our always-on, all-consuming lives. Our relationships, our health, and even our ability to be productive depend on it.

The Case for Rest

We know, intuitively, that our bodies need rest. Whether you want it or not, at some point, your body will force the issue. Anyone who has engaged in any sort of exercise program knows the value of “rest days” to allow the muscles to recover for greater long-term results. The same can be said for the rest of our lives, too. Work without rest will only result in diminished returns.

And, like many other aspects of our lives, the responsibility for building in those breaks falls on the individual. Work isn’t going to tell you when to rest. Management will work you until you drop and then replace you with the next available body.

In his new book The Good Enough Job (2023), Simone Stolzoff outlines the gradual progression of work in this country from something that was done to earn money to something that became individuals’ identity: “Perhaps the most American ‘I am’ label is ‘a producer.’ Workers are measured by their productivity, companies are measured by their growth, and the country’s health is measured by its GDP. . . . Using productivity to measure worth is a standard we also impose on ourselves. And in the process, many Americans have internalized the values of our dominant economic system: capitalism” (p. 71).

The only people that the system serves are the owners and the managers, as well as the corporate entities themselves. Not the individual. As a counterpoint, Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, makes a case for rest as an intentional act of resistance against these capitalist structures in her bestselling book, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto (2022). When we rest, we are pushing back against the systems and structures that would keep us at work at all times, no matter the cost.

Research confirms the detrimental impacts of working long hours on mental health and productivity for both white- and blue-collar workers and the necessity for extended time off for recovery (Sato, Kuroda, & Ovan, 2020). Further, it’s not just the time away from work but the ways in which that time is spent that matters. It is critically important to “psychologically detach” from work in order to reap the benefits of rest (Sonnentag & Bayer, 2005).

Not surprisingly, the study found that when one’s workload is high, the need for psychological detachment both increases and is harder to achieve. Also, not surprisingly, while psychological detachment resulted in improved mood and diminished fatigue at bedtime, men were less fatigued than women. As most women know, their “second shift” work as caretakers is not a substitute for true psychological detachment.

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Practices to Build Intentional Rest

It’s one thing to know that you need to rest. It’s another thing entirely to do it, especially within these same capitalist structures that are actively working to prevent it. What works for some will not work for all, of course. But here are a few strategies I encourage you to try out during these summer months. This is, after all, the season to rest and reset. Why not start now?

• Schedule it. Just like any other commitment or meeting, schedule daily or weekly time for rest. That might look like a walk around the block, a yoga class, or lunch with a friend. It might look like time to journal and reflect or to read. It doesn’t matter how you spend it; the goal is that it can’t be productive, in the purest sense of that word. You must psychologically detach from work. Schedule it into your calendar. Hold the time sacred as a commitment with yourself, just as you would commit to meeting with your boss or another colleague. You owe yourself at least as much as you owe them.
• Use schedule send. Just as you need to be intentional about your own rest, you need to recognize how your behavior is impacting others. Don’t send that email at night or on the weekend. Use tools like schedule send to help manage others’ psychological detachment and set clear expectations for what is a priority and when work needs to be done. Unless you are actually saving lives, there is little that needs to happen over an email during non-working hours.
• Don’t use weekends as time earned. You don’t earn rest by working. You don’t “get” time off because you labored a certain amount of time first. You deserve the rest just as much as you deserve the opportunity to do meaningful work. The weekend isn’t a prize you get for hitting some productivity markers during the week. Additionally, think about how you are using that time. For example, if you are using your weekend to catch up on all the house chores you weren’t able to accomplish during the week, does that feel like rest? If you need to pick up additional work due to financial or other priorities, how and when can you schedule some time to rest around it?
• When on PTO, be on PTO. When you take structured time off, commit to fully disconnecting. Put an out of office on your email and set aside time when you return to re-engage purposefully so that you don’t “need a vacation from your vacation.” If you are a manager, this sends a clear and positive message about the importance of rest to the people you manage. For everyone, it sends a clear and positive message about the boundaries you uphold to take ownership of your need for intentional rest. When I am on PTO, the email comes off my phone so I’m not tempted to check it. This is a boundary that helps me ensure that when I’m on PTO, I’m actually off. And remember: No one gets bonus points for unused vacation days. Take your time off. Hold it sacred. The work, the productivity, will wait.