How to Rest at Work

While it might sound counterintuitive, it is possible to rest at work—and not only possible, but necessary! Going full steam ahead for 8+ hours a day without any care for your mind, body, or spirit is a recipe for burnout, which does not a productive—or happy—employee make. 

Even though most employers know this, they're unlikely to go out of their way to make sure you get the rest you need. (They're more often motivated by what you are able to deliver in the short-term, even if it comes at a cost.) For most knowledge workers, then, the responsibility for developing and sticking to healthy, sustainable work rhythms rests (ahem) with us. 

So: how to rest at work while also remaining a valued, helpful team player? We'd love to share a few ways we're found to rest your mind, body, and spirit while at work that have worked for our team and others in the Cultivate community. Let's do it!

Rest your body

Office work can be physically draining in its own way, and sometimes what feels like mental fatigue is actually a physical weariness. Here are a few ways to rest your body throughout your work day.

• Try the 20-20-20 rule. A good rule of thumb: for every 20 minutes of work on a computer, look up and gaze at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This relaxes the focusing muscles in your eyes, encourages blinking, and reduces eye strain. I instituted this in a season when my eyes were bothering me, and it really does help!
• Move your body for five minutes at least once each hour. Oof —this one shouldn't be as hard as it is! If you're anything like me, it's easy to get locked in on a task and realize you haven't moved more than your typing fingers in two hours. To get in the habit, set an alarm for five minutes before the hour, every hour (you can name it MOVE! :)). Then, force yourself to stand up, stretch, do a few squats, or take a quick walk every time it goes off.
• Stand more often. Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason —a sedentary lifestyle is not good for your health. While adjusting to standing more during the day might feel like the opposite of rest (it can be really tiring at first!), commit to building up to a few blocks of standing work each day. My husband has and loves this standing desk.
• Take a real lunch break. And by that I mean away from your desk, with good food. Ideally in the sunshine! Any day you can hit two out of those three counts as a win. Find a few go-to lunch ideas you look forward to eating and make them on a rotation. We recommend the good-all-week salads from Caro Chambers! 
  
• Make movement the default. Aside from your five-minutes-every-hour and standing desk pursuits, challenge yourself to incorporate movement into your day whenever possible: stretch while reading a document. Walk while taking a phone call. Walk over to a colleague to ask a question instead of sending it on Slack. Though at home we usually think of movement as the opposite of rest, it can really feel like it at work!

Rest your mind

Rest is not the same thing as inactivity, and this is especially true when it comes to resting your mind at work. More often, rest feels like thoughtfully moving from one task to another and arranging your days with care.

• Make a plan for your day. Knowing where your focus should be each hour reduces decision fatigue, or constantly wondering what's coming next. A scattered brain is not a restful state! So, at the beginning of each week, spend a few minutes blocking your schedule for the next few days. You'll feel cared for all week! More on time blocking here.
• Sink into deep work. While deep work can be mentally challenging, it also often approaches a flow state—and our brains love a flow state! Doing good work in an undistracted way will leave you feeling energized and content.
• Alternate deep work with routine administrative tasks. After a good, undistracted chunk of hard work, give your brain a rest from solving problems by completing something necessary but easy: sorting your inbox, clearing your desktop (virtual or IRL!), returning a message, updating a spreadsheet. 
• Banish notifications. While this may feel impossible in your role, fight for it —even in limited amounts. Close down Slack or your email. Disable iMessage notifications on your computer. Put your phone in a drawer. The freed-up mental space is one of the most restful rewards I can think of.
• Close loops. Of all the unexpected things that tire us out, open loops are at the top of the list. An undone task hanging over your head is like a constant tapping at your brain's door. Put a stop to it by closing the loop: sending the email you've been avoiding. Making the phone call. Delivering the news. Finishing the first draft. Sometimes, a completed task brings more relief than another break.

Rest your spirit

Even the busiest days have room for a little mental unclenching! Here are a few things to try to rest your spirit at work.

• Fuel your mind while you fuel your body. Your lunch break is yours —use it well! Try reading a few pages of a novel, listening to a podcast or favorite album, or simply sitting in the sunshine in silence while you eat —whatever makes you feel good.
• Guard the space you need to do the work you love. Few things are more discouraging than constantly feeling like you have no time to do the work that actually brought you to the job in the first place. As far as it's possible, carve out time for this work in your week first. (Pay yourself first!) Put it on your calendar and protect it.
• Keep good words in front of you. This might look like a favorite quote pinned to your bulletin board, a Bible open to your current focus on your desk, or a desktop background that recalls you to your purpose. Reading good words can be balm for your spirit.
• Make a connection. Even if you're an introvert (hand raised!), a brief and pleasant conversation with a coworker can be restorative. This is separate from collaborating on a work project —just hearing about someone's vacation plans, swapping dinner ideas, or sharing photos from your weekend. Feeling connected to others makes us feel safe and at peace.
• Rest from performance. Work can feel tiring because of the pressure to always be on, or constantly feel like you're being evaluated. Look for moments where you can stop performing: turning off Slack, working on a task that doesn't require immediate feedback, or spending ten minutes writing first-draft notes no one will ever see.

We'd love to hear: What creative ways have you found to rest at work? Leave us a note in the comments!