Ep 203: The Importance of Rest for Productivity

Alex Pang, author of Rest, joins us to explain the cognitive
benefits of taking time off and doing nothing! Plus, how non-work
activities like sports, naps, and gap years can boost teens’
productivity and creativity!


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Full show notes


We want kids to be the best version of themselves, meaning that
we often push them to their limits. We stack on extracurriculars
to buff up their college apps, add in SAT classes, and sign them
up for private lessons to make sure they’re the best flute player
in the orchestra. Kids only have so much time to make the most of
themselves, so they should spend every last moment studying,
practicing, and bettering themselves…right?





But what happens when kids suddenly find themselves burnt out?
What if, with a crazy schedule, they’re not able to focus on
their homework or pull out the sheet music as enthusiastically as
they did before? Even though we have the best intentions, we can
sometimes push our teens (and ourselves) too far past what’s
healthy–and create not only exhaustion, but a lack of
productivity, creativity, and imagination.





That’s why, in today’s episode, we’re talking about the
importance of doing nothing! We’re joined by Alex Pang, author of
Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. Alex is the owner
of the consulting company Strategy and Rest, which works with
companies and individuals to create maximum productivity with
shorter workdays! He’s a visiting scholar at Stanford, and the
author of three other books about productivity and cognition.





In this week’s episode, we talk all about the importance of
taking restful breaks, and the psychological benefits of doing
nothing! Plus how teens can benefit from non-work activities like
sports, napping, and even playing video games!





Why Rest Matters


The basic principle we often follow about productivity is that
more time working=more work accomplished. We might load ourselves
up with eighty hour work weeks, working long nights and weekends
to try and max out our capabilities. But Alex is prompting us to
challenge that. Once a busy, overworked employee in Silicon
Valley, Alex left the United States to take a trip to the U.K.,
where he discovered a shift in culture and less structure in his
work day! He found that working shorter hours and taking more
breaks actually improved his productivity and creativity–and it
can improve yours too!





Alex explains that our brains have something he calls a “default
mode network”, which turns on when the focused, working part of
your brain turns off. When the default mode network is activated,
your body goes to work behind the scenes, tackling problems that
evade your conscious mind. Have you ever found yourself
frustrated because you can’t recall a song lyric or the name of
an actor…only for it to pop into your head ten minutes later
while you’re watching TV? This is an example of your default mode
network doing its job!





Many prominent, iconic, and successful people have learned to
harness their default mode network to improve their productivity.
They know that this part of the brain allows the mind to come up
with new ideas, make connections and recharge…then get back to
business with a much more inspired and productive mindset, says
Alex. Individuals like Beethoven and Nobel prize winners have
strategically built time into their schedules to rest and let
their default mode network run…basically doing nothing with the
goal of increasing productivity!





Alex is also a proponent of shorter work days and a four day work
week. In the episode, we talk about a wealth of research which
indicates that humans are most productive when they work only
four or five hours a day! After that, our focus and concentration
starts to wane, and we often get very little or nothing done. But
with an extra day or extra hours in the week built in for
intentional rest, we can take on the challenges of our work week
much more efficiently and with extra creativity and imagination.





The power of doing nothing only works if we’re doing the right
kind of nothing, however. Alex explains that certain activities
are more restful to your brain than others. The key is to do
something that takes as little focus or concentration as
possible, so that your subconscious mind can activate and restore
you to your most creative state, he explains. Activities like
television, video games, or even social media can have this
restorative effect for teens–as long as they’re not
overindulging, says Alex.





There are some other methods of rest and rejuvenation that boost
productivity and creativity for teens! Alex and I dive into these
in the episode.





How Teens Can Unwind





In our interview, Alex and I discuss how exercise can be a great
way for teens to let go of work and stressors and let their mind
wander. In fact, effective cognition is tied significantly to
physical health, says Alex. Our brains love oxygen, and will take
as much of it as possible! When we exercise, we increase our
body’s oxygen capacity, and therefore power our brain to maximum
sharpness and efficiency. The stronger our circulatory system,
the more powerful our mind, says Alex.





Even a simple walk can have terrific benefits for the teenage
mind. Research has shown that walking improves cognition as well
as creativity! Alex explains that people like Steve Jobs and Mark
Zuckerberg even have walking meetings, where they combine
business with exercise. This setting allows ideas to flow more
freely, and is a more casual social environment. Alex recommends
encouraging teens to take walks during study breaks or when
working something out with a friend–the benefits of doing so are
clear!





Getting involved in a sport is even better for a teen, says Alex.
In his research, he’s found that many of history's greatest
thinkers have also been accomplished athletes. A study of
scientists spanning over thirty years found that those who made
incredible or notable discoveries in their careers were also
individuals who set aside ample time for sports, while those who
weren’t athletes faded into obscurity. Alex explains that this
regular athletic activity gave the scientists time away from work
to mull over ideas and come back to their research with renewed
focus and imagination.





Alex and I also talk about a somewhat controversial relaxation
technique…napping! Some believe napping leaves us more tired than
before, while others think a nap is a great way to refresh and
recharge. Alex argues in favor of napping…so long as we do it
right! If your teen loves to nap, Alex recommends they nap
between twenty or ninety minutes. Twenty minutes constitutes a
light nap that’s shown to recharge the body, while ninety minutes
is the cutoff before slipping into deep sleep. A nap of this
length can have benefits for memory, cognition, and more, says
Alex. We talk about napping more in the interview!





In The Episode…


My discussion with Alex brings an unexpected perspective to
common notions about creativity and productivity! On top of the
topics discussed above, we also talk about:


How self-criticism hinders our creativity

Why teens should spend time abroad

How school damages teens’ perce...