Resting is no longer just physical inactivity. Contrary to the popular understanding, I feel rested even if I sleep less than six hours, but am mentally satisfied by reading few pages of a book, going for a long walk (alone or with wife), chatting with a friend or watching a good action movie. Not so surprising but spending time on Instagram or Twitter doesn't detox me. It adds more mental work.

Last year, when I was randomly browsing through AliExpress looking for glowing charging cables, I stumbled upon an idea for a new product design. When I spent a few weekends earlier this year building a Lego Technic model, I got an idea to modify a product prototype.

Whenever I rest by doing things I naturally gravitate towards, it makes me sharper, more productive at work.

The point I'm trying to make is, if you find your employees taking a day off, your spouse just chatting with a friend for hours, binging useless shows, doing pottery, drilling a few holes for household chores, they are, in some form, resting.

Read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker to learn more on how rest improves creativity. Listen to Tools & and Tips for better sleep podcast on The Tim Ferriss Show. Here he broadly covers how high performers prioritise sleep and relaxation.

A tip: Take a long weekend off — no checking Slack (or whatever you use at work), no to-dos. Just do what you feel like. Go for a drive, spend time on the sofa watching a movie, reading a book, messaging a friend, anything. See how creative, productive you feel by the end of the following week.

This blog is part of Blogtober 2024 series from October 1 - October 30, 2024.