Balancing Between Hustles And Rest
In this present time, a lot of people are so much submerged in their hustles and the need for constant productivity that the need to rest is often not emphasized enough. Funny enough, some people even attributed taking rest to laziness or that the person lacks ambition, but this is not so. Balancing between hustling and rest is not just needful but also important, not just physically but mentally and in other aspects of life. Just to let you know, that you took rest does not show sign of weakness, rather it is an application of wisdom because it means you are doing the right thing.
There was a man I knew in a particular neighborhood that I stayed briefly. What draw my attention to the man was the way he was very busy. He would leave his house at the early hours of the day when everywhere was still dark and would come back very late at night for everyday of the week. In fact, some of the neighbours did not even know him because he was not often around. He would work almost round the clock and had very little time to rest. For him, he was working so relentlessly to achieve success, but at what expense? Shortly before I left the neighbourhood, I discovered that the man did not go out again as usual. When I asked, I was told that his health broke down and he collapsed at his work place. He was lucky to have survived, but he was placed on intensive care and was given bed rest afterwards. The rest that he did not want to take, he was forced to take it.
When you choose relentless hustle without taking some break or stopping to rest, you may achieve temporary success, but it might also open you up for long-term negative effects - your body becomes worn out, your mind becomes weak, and you might even start to lose your passion. But when you strike a balance and know when to rest, you will be renewed to keep going. Take your phone or computer as an example: if you continue to use it for long without allowing it to rest or even charging it, it will definitely run out and the usefulness will be affected. This is also what happens to the body and the mind when you do not rest.
Just to make it clear, rest does not mean taking a long vacation or doing absolutely nothing. It can just be momentary relaxation that you give to yourself in work - like staying away for a few minutes from work to think, receive fresh air, strengthen your muscles and then reset yourself. These little things might make some very huge difference in your health. You will be surprised to know the kind of health challenge that is associated with sitting for long hours without taking a time out. I once watched a medical documentary where a doctor was attributing series of health challenges to the way people sit for long hours probably behind their system.
In whatever you do as hustles, and even in your day-to-day activities, you need to make out time to rest. It is not just about resting the body but also resting the mind. Some people would rest their body but their mind would still be busy with the cares of the world. Also remember that a sound mind leads to a sound body. More so, when you have rested your mind, it will also affect your body positively. If you are working and you discover that "diminishing return" has started to set in, it may just be an indication that you need to rest. Do not wait until you have completely broken down before you rest. Take rest to prevent your body from breaking down.
I have also discovered that resting a while while hustling also leads to better creativity and productivity. You will agree with me that the tasks you perform when you have rested are normally easier and better than when you are already fatigued and worn out. For you to increase productivity, you have to learn to balance between work and rest, and do not sacrifice one for the other. To succeed in life, you have to value work, truly, but in addition to it, you need to also value rest.
Thanks for reading
