The Value of Rest
Rest has been a huge topic over the last few weeks. Everywhere I turn it seems that people are talking about rest and time away. What’s most interesting to me is that folks seem to understand the benefits of both just a bit better than they did before the pandemic, if not consciously, then at least on an intuitive level.
Now that it is safer to travel again, I see people off on adventures everywhere and many are headed into nature. In the last 2 years, I‘ve seen more families on road trips and in National Parks than ever. The National Parks have experienced record-breaking visitation rates. Whether this was due to closed borders in most of the rest of the world or the desire to be somewhere more wild and free than your typical suburban neighborhood is hard to say.
It might seem funny that after a year and a half of mostly not leaving the house or neighborhood that heavy physical activity in the form of hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. would be considered restful but it truly is. It can be meditative to spend time out in the wild and it is definitely good for your physical and mental health. A recent trip to an outdoor sports store left no doubt that people are getting the message and taking advantage of all of the options available beyond their own backyards.
Whatever the reason, Americans are finally, unabashedly, taking real amounts of vacation time which we, as a nation, are famous for doing far too little of. We collectively think that skipping vacations and working more makes us more productive and helps us get ahead. The science has long said that we’re mistaken and we’re actually listening now. “Statistically, taking more vacation results in greater success at work as well as lower stress and more happiness at work and home," say Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan. Even so, we are astounded by those who choose to rest and take time off for more than a week or 2 at a stretch.
There’s a reason that Stefan Sagmeister’s TED talk has more than 3.5 million views. How can someone CLOSE THEIR COMPANY for a year every 7 years and still have a company to come back to? He can, he does, and he thinks you should too. When Shelley Paxton took her Soulbbatical and wrote a book by the same name, it became a bestseller. People were fascinated by the concept but also likely realized it was something they craved themselves.
For me, much of the next 2 weeks will be spent outside on the water, in the woods, and on the deck. I’m an outdoor girl living a fairly indoor life lately and I’m thrilled to get out into nature. Like so many others, I’ll come back happier, more rested, and physically stronger. Every time I go away and really immerse myself in the experience, I come back full of inspiration to create new things. I thrive on new experiences. I bet you do too.
To that end, I don’t plan to work while I’m away. As much as I love my job, I also value time off. It makes me a better person. I’m more grounded and more in touch with who I am and what I have to offer. Besides, how am I to illustrate concepts via experiences I never allow myself to have? I’m off to practice what I preach. See you on the other side!
