In finance, the acronym IRR stands for Internal Rate of Return (which measures the profitability of an investment.) My friend Tony Martignetti (a former finance guy!) refers to IRR as the Infinite Return on Rest.
I ❤️ this!
In our ridiculously overscheduled, stressed-out world, people will often say “I don’t have time to take time off.”
That’s how conditioned we are to grind it out.
But I would argue, you can’t afford to not take time off.
I get it. Taking time off often means coming back to a deluge of email, voicemail, and Slack messages. It can feel like you’re more buried than you were before you decided to cut out early on Friday.
And it can create a compounding interest on stress (to stick with the finance metaphor!)
YET… rest is crucial to wellbeing, whether it’s in the form of actual sleep or a short break away from your desk. It helps our brains and bodies heal and refresh. It enables us to come back to work revitalized, energized and often with a new perspective (see more on the DMN below.)
The Downsides of Working Yourself to the Bone:
I’m likely not telling you anything you don’t already know, but in case it’s slipped your mind with all the work you’ve been doing lately, let me remind you.
- Chronic stress can result in increased cortisol, inflammation, anxiety, depression, and a suppressed immune system. All of this contributes to poor health and disease.
- Lack of sleep sets us up for decreased executive functioning. It can be the precursor to poor decision-making, emotional reactivity, lack of focus, and poor judgment. (I used to think that putting off bedtime to plow through emails late in the evening made a difference. It didn’t.)
- Grinding it out hinders your performance. If you went to the gym and started doing bicep curls, there’s a point at which your biceps would no longer be able to lift the weight due to muscle fatigue. Your brain operates in the same way. Think of it as “cognitive congestion.” Eventually, your brain becomes overloaded and can’t process information. [Fun fact, your brain uses up 20% of your overall energy consumption.]
Making Time for Rest
Are you ready to take time off yet? How about a short 10 minute break away from your desk?
Let’s review the upsides of taking time off and how it promotes wellbeing.
- You can proactively engage your Default Mode Network (DMN). The DMN helps the brain to organize. Your DMN is engaged when your mind starts to wander and you are not actively focused on a task. And no, scrolling through social media does not count – your brain is actually task-focused then.) The DMN is one way our brains “restock” on motivation and attention, get creative, and make sense of our life experiences. Your brain is working on problems in the background, even if you’re not thinking about the problem. It’s the proverbial “I had a great idea in the shower today!”)
- More sleep When we sleep, our brain flushes out toxins, solidifies learning, and embeds memories. Sleep scientist Matt Walker has a lot to say on the topic. He has a great book Why We Sleep, and here is a super short video that sums it up.
- It can activate your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) If you’re chronically in a “Fight or Flight” mode, now would be a good time to tap into your “Rest and Digest” system. It’s the part of your Autonomic Nervous System that is the opposite physical state of “fight or flight.” If work is one of your major stressors, stepping away can help your body reset.
You have probably heard me say it before and it bears repeating. One size does not fit all. You are the only one who can determine what form of rest works best for you. But if you need a few ideas, check out this article.
There’s a reason I included Wellbeing as one of the anchors in the Leadership Fluency Framework. Tending to your mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing provides a strong foundation for whatever work (and life) is going to throw your way and enhances your leadership capacity.
The benefits of giving yourself a break are innumerable. My wish for you is that you figure out what that is, do something about it, and determine your own rate of return. And I hope it’s infinite!
I’m giving you permission to rest. Go for it.
