The Surprising Value of Rest

By Leo Babauta

Today I’m feeling sore and tired from hard strength workouts, playing lots of basketball, and doing a hill sprint session yesterday with my son. I’ve been working out hard, and I’m really feeling it!

So I’m going to take some rest and recovery time. Anyone who is into fitness knows the hidden value of recovery: this is when we actually get stronger. The workout is important, but recovery is arguably even more important, because that’s when our body rebuilds itself into something strong. Without it, we will burn out or get injured.

This applies not just to fitness, but everywhere in our lives: with work, learning, relationships, and more. It’s great to do the work — but if you’re not giving yourself adequate rest, or time to recover, you’re going to grind yourself into the ground. It’s much worse for your long-term progress.

If you want to get better at focusing on hard tasks … you have to give yourself time when you don’t have to focus. Otherwise your ability to focus get worse, from constantly trying to focus.

If you want to get better at dealing with chaos and uncertainty and discomfort … you have to face those things, but you also have to give yourself a break where you get to have comfort and security. Otherwise you deteriorate your ability to face discomfort.

If you want to become more productive, or better at studying things … you have to give yourself time when you don’t have to be productive, or don’t have to be studying hard. Otherwise you will become less productive over time, or worse at being able to study.

If you want to show up for your partner with a sense of love and intimacy … you have to have times when you take space away from intimacy, when you can take a break from having to love someone, and just be. Otherwise you’ll be less able to be open with them, and more burdened and resentful about them.

So take a moment to assess yourself: where do you need more rest? Are you feeling worn down, with a diminished capacity?

And how can you take responsibility for getting the nourishing and replenishing rest that you need, in order to show up more fully over the long run?

Btw, next week Wednesday (Aug. 14), my friend and simplicity expert ​Courtney Carver of Be More with Less​ is teaching a workshop related to this topic, for my ​Fearless Living Academy​, called 3 Gentle Seasons. She’ll teach us practices to overcome chronic overwhelm, cultivate self-compassion, and find permission to do less, and how to let go of doing it all, to live with less stress and more ease, less overwhelm and more joy, and more!

The workshop is free for members of FLA — ​come join us​!