The Importance of Rest for Employees

Currently, many employees are very active in their work to the point of forgetting to rest. This can be caused by workload, lack of time management, and conflicts with colleagues or superiors. This habit results in you only really resting on holidays or days off.

It is very important to prioritize rest in everyday life. Without adequate rest, you will not be in good mental, emotional and physical health. Meanwhile, these three aspects are closely related to the level of productivity and creativity at work.

The Importance of Rest at Work

Rest is indisputable. Whatever your job and working hours, take time to rest. Because taking time for yourself can improve mood, concentration and memory, a healthier immune system, reduced stress, and even a better metabolism.

Rest does not always mean not doing any activity at all. You can do simple things that are stress-relief, like taking a walk, reading a book, playing a game, meditating, and stretching. Let yourself step away from work for a while. That way, you will get unexpected benefits, such as:

1. Improve Creativity

Jobs that demand high creativity and innovation require the same amount of time off as active at work. Working in front of a screen for hours will not get you ideas and innovation. This will only make you bored and stressed.

Humans were not designed to function at a high level continuously. Give your body and brain a chance to develop solutions on their own. A lot of creativity emerges when the mind is resting, have relaxed discussions with co-workers and the team to produce great ideas at that time.

2. More Focus at work

Fatigue will divert your mind to make you lose focus and forget important things. When you experience this, take a break to focus more on work. This is because you have allocated time that is actually spent working.

You will process activities and incoming information throughout the day. Doing so will give you a new perspective on the job and help you see the whole work in progress.

3. Productivity increases

It's not about getting a lot of work done or how quickly you get it done, productivity is about delivering the best results. This is not possible if you are exhausted. In contrast to those who don't rest, people who rest tend to be more energized, focused, and up for a challenge.

This can happen because even though the body is resting, the brain is still working. The brain organizes memories, searches for new information, and solves problems even though you can't control the process completely. Giving yourself time off can help and give the brain to work on its own.

4. Facilitate decision making

You can't make decisions quickly. It takes time and precise calculations for each option. Studies show that people who delay making a decision for at least one day, will produce a satisfactory decision.

This might happen because while resting the brain is busy combining, remembering and secretly looking for solutions to the problems you are facing. You are given time to contemplate options that align with long-term goals and values in order to be able to make better decisions.

5. Reduce Stress

Not only your body, mental and mind also need rest. Giving time to rest helps you to distance yourself from thoughts and excess pressure that causes stress. Take regular breaks. Do not allow yourself to work beyond office hours.

Give it time throughout the day to be able to recharge. Because you don't need to be ready 24 hours a day. Ask colleagues and clients to contact you only during business hours. If necessary, turn off your gadgets on holidays and during leave. This is done to build regular rest periods so that feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and stress will be reduced.

By prioritizing rest means you are prioritizing work. It's important to remember that when you take a break, you are not shirking responsibility. However, you are taking care of yourself. Learn the signs you need to rest. That way, you'll know the right time to help yourself be fresher and more excited.