Friday Feature: Active Rest

Perhaps it's because I'm on vacation, but I'm finding the topic of balance quite interesting. It's a great topic for summer, though -- a time where relaxation is an implicit part of the plan. We're supposed to relax in the summer. It's allowed.

But why can't we relax the rest of the year? Sure, there are myriad reasons. Work pressure. School pressure. Life in general.

Or are they excuses?

Our brains do a better job of operating efficiently when we give them down time. We take in an enormous amount of information all day every day and our brains need time to process it. Sleep, actually, is one of the times that our brains do just that -- sort through the detritus of the day to determine what matters and what doesn't.

Think you need to keep powering forward? Stop for a moment and think about how much time you spend at work actually working. If you're like most people, it's definitely not the full eight hours. And not because we're slackers. A lighter, more leisurely work day was behind a lot of work we now consider brilliant.

Don't believe me? Check out "Why You Should Slack off to Get Some Work Done." And then take a nap.

You've earned it.