‘I’m so busy!’ we chant in unison, buying into the push for productivity, feeling the need to do more, more, more. Feeling we are not achieving if we take a break, filling our diaries until they are overflowing, tying our worth into what we have (and haven’t) done, failing to prioritise our needs and seeing stopping as a fundamental flaw.
Woaaah! STOP. Slow down, take a breath. Perpetual productivity is counterproductive. We need to recognise that pausing and stopping are productive in themselves. I’m as guilty as the next person of powering through a lunch break to get a task done, but I’m neglecting to realise that this is actually impacting on my health, happiness and productivity. Not only does taking a break make us more efficient long term, it helps our body manage stress by restoring its equilibrium. Let’s give downtime the respect it deserves. Rest is not a waste of time; it is so important for health and happiness it needs to have priority status. It’s an activity to be planned and appreciated in its own right.