TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO RECOVER
In this digital and quarantine era, being unaware of time and crossing boundaries to do chores at all hours can really cause burnout
True confession: I’m a TikTok junkie. I enjoy the app’s real-life vids of people from all walks of life, ages, gender and level of insanity. Not all are about kalandian (flirtation), hanash
(angst), mind you. As a media person, I score trends including cooking hacks, cryptocurrency and pop psychiatry.
Recently I came across a post by Alec Cuenca (@ smalltalkpodcast) who gives talks on self-help. He discussed Elijah the prophet from the Bible, who told God he was so mad he wanted to end his life. But God said leave the place and go to a certain stream and he will send ravens to bring Elijah food every day. So Elijah slept and ate. And when he was rested, he was also told to go to town and look for a woman God had tasked to take care of his food and drinks. For starters, the woman first baked a small piece of bread and water.
From there, Elijah realized that things were not as bad as he imagined it to be, and he continued his tasks for the Lord.
And as Alec puts it, “Never underestimate the power of a snack and a nap.”
Most people may feel for Elijah, who was probably so exhausted that he was being pushed to the brink of hopelessness and overthinking. In this digital and quarantine era, being unaware of time and crossing boundaries to do chores at all hours can really cause burnout.
An article from greatergood.berkeley.edu
by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang discusses how resting can boost one’s productivity.
He says resting has gotten a bad reputation as the workplace culture equates it with lack of work, which means laziness. But, actually, it’s the other way around.
Resting has been proven to have direct effects on the body that includes boosting the immune system, lowering blood sugar, keeping the
heart healthy, sharpening focus and other brain functions and helping control weight.
The writer also shares some tips to get that much-needed rest.
1. Follow an early morning routine
The article cites that among hundreds of workers surveyed in a high-tech company, those with the most number of creative ideas had a regular routine for work, play and sleep. Those who had more control of their time had more energy to spare to accomplish their job while being able to take breaks as well.
2. Walk outdoors
Research study from Stanford looked at the effects of walking on creativity and was measured by a test on divergent thinking. The researchers compared participants’ performance under four conditions: Walking on a treadmill, seated indoors, walking outdoors and being wheeled outdoors in a wheelchair.
Said the article: “Moreover, in one experiment, the researchers showed that the benefits of walking on creativity did not fade immediately, but carried over into performance on future tests.”
3. Take a nap.
Sleep scientists have discovered that a short nap can do wonders in recharging one’s mental alertness and concentration. Even a 20-minute nap can restore one’s rundown energy.
It’s that point when you know your mind is already tired and no ideas are coming out of your head, but you are still aware of your next task.
A study by sleep researcher Sara Mednick and colleagues from the University of California tested participants on perception tasks. Participants consisted of three groups: those who didn’t nap at all, those who napped either for an hour, or an hour and a half.
The groups were retested in the evening. The result: Those who didn’t take a nap performed badly in the evening, while those who were able to nap either performed the same or did way better.
The next day, after participants slept, they still performed well in the test versus the non-nappers. This shows the beneficial impact of resting. The research also revealed that a fresh mind due to napping is more effective than drinking coffee.
4. Know when to stop
Ernest Hemingway was cited as a famous advocate of the practice of “always stop when you know what’s going to happen next,” which is followed by many famous writers. It’s that point
when you know your mind is already tired and no ideas are coming out of your head, but you are still aware of your next task. That’s the point when you realize you need to stop, rest to refresh your mind, and do the job when you feel more reinvigorated.
5. Get sleep
Sufficient sleep at night — six to eight hours at least — is still the best way to face the following day with as much creativity and productivity as one can handle.
The writer surmises, “During the day, our bodies are mainly occupied with the business of living, spending energy on motor activity and cognitive functions. When we fall asleep, our bodies shift into maintenance mode and devote themselves to storing energy, fixing or replacing damaged cells, and growing, while our brains clean out toxins, process the day’s experiences and sometimes work on problems that have been occupying our waking minds.”
Treat rest as an ally of work and living. When we recognize the power of a good sleep, nap or break, then we also see its value in keeping our days more organized, calmer, more creative and perhaps happier. Rest is also part of life so get some sleep, will you?