When your to-do list gets long and your responsibilities begin to pile up, one of the first things that often gets shoved off of your plate is rest. You wake up early, you stay up late, and you try to cram tasks and efficiency into every corner of your day. While being efficient and making good use of your time is a great way to get things done, it only helps so much. As counter-productive as it sounds, you also need rest if you want to get caught up. Here are five reasons you need to make rest a priority no matter how busy you are.
1. It Increases Your Productivity
Our bodies aren’t meant to be in “go” mode from sun up to sun down. Both our brains and our bodies need periodic breaks to recharge. While this downtime can seem like wasted time, resting actually improves our productivity, allowing us to get more down than we would have otherwise!
2. It Improves Your Memory
Our brains process our learning and information when we sleep, clearing out the information we don’t need to remember and storing the information that we do. When we go too long without sleeping or if we try to work on too little sleep, our memory suffers as a result. Taking a nap after studying is actually a great way to improve your ability to recall what you’ve learned.
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3. It Improves Your Mood
Your toddler isn’t the only one who gets cranky when he’s overtired. Moms get cranky when they are tired too. Try to do too much and work too hard without a break, and it won’t be long until you are snapping at your family or until you are just generally unpleasant to be around. Take a quick nap when needed, and your day will go much smoother, allowing you to get more done.
4. It Improves Your Abilities
Whether you are driving, writing, sewing, cleaning, paying bills or reading, it is difficult to do a good job when you are overly tired. Try to push too hard for too long, and the quality of your work will inevitably suffer, both in terms of efficiency and in terms of quality. If you notice that you’re having difficult producing your best work and you think tiredness may be to blame, a quick nap may be just what you need.
5. It Improves Your Health
Lastly, sleep is absolutely essential for health. According to WebMD, not getting enough sleep has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. A lack of sleep can even increase your chances of coming down with a cold or the flu, both of which can drastically reduce your ability to be productive. Save your health and your time by getting the rest you need now.
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Resting doesn’t mean that you have to set everything aside and sleep for three hours. Instead, it can mean a 10-15 minute power nap or walk outside in the fresh air. Even something as simple as taking your lunch break to actually eat lunch instead of to work at your desk can make a big difference.
Do you get enough rest? How can you make rest more of a priority in your busy schedule?