{"id":2688,"date":"2023-08-30T11:35:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T10:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/?p=2688"},"modified":"2023-11-13T12:30:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T12:30:55","slug":"the-importance-of-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/news\/the-importance-of-rest\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Rest"},"content":{"rendered":"
The weather might be deceiving, but it\u2019s summer here in the UK. The summer period is typically associated with holidays \u2013 an opportunity for people to rest and reset before returning to work. Whilst going on holiday may be a luxury, taking the time to rest is a necessity. Regardless of how busy life may seem, resting and unplugging is vital to your wellbeing.<\/p>\n
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Individually, we all have different ideas of the perfect way to rest after a long day, but research argues that rest from work is characterised by different recovery processes that help us to rewind and destress from the workplace (1), including:<\/p>\n
Alongside these processes, the term \u201crest\u201d is often used interchangeably with sleep (2), however the two are distinguishable through the benefits that they both provide.<\/p>\n
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Sleep is essential, for obvious reasons like fatigue, however also for reasons that scientists are still researching. For example, sleep has been identified to play a crucial in processing and storing information to form memories (3). The benefits of sleep tend to be physiological, whereas the benefits provided by rest are associated more with the mind and well-being.<\/p>\n
Some of the most important benefits of rest include:<\/p>\n
Increasing productivity \u2013 Taking time off to disconnect and recharge helps our brains recover from fatigue. Coming back to work feeling well-rested and refreshed makes us feel more energised and motivated thus increasing our overall productivity. Research further supports this, suggesting that greater use of annual leave is associated with greater productivity (7).<\/p>\n
It was reported that in 2022 that over 60% of workers didn\u2019t take all of the annual leave they were entitled to (8). Reasons for this varied, with some workers preferring to receive extra pay for their unused time off, whereas others felt pressure from management to not use up their annual leave.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to use the time off that we are entitled to and give ourselves time to rest and enjoy life. Taking time to rest and recharge is an act of self-compassion that allows us to prioritise our wellbeing.<\/p>\n
As Eleanor Brown says:<\/p>\n
\u201cRest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Giving ourselves time to rest after work is a necessary act of self-care. Our experienced coaches can work with individuals to help identify ways to practice self-care, support wellbeing and prevent negative outcomes such as burnout. We at Impact also offer wellbeing workshops and programmes to help explore self-compassion and build resilience. To find out more about how we can help, you can get in touch with us here.<\/a><\/p>\n 1: Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2007). The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work.\u00a0Journal of occupational health psychology<\/em>,\u00a012<\/em>(3), 204<\/p>\n 2: Nurit, W., & Michal, A. B. (2003). Rest: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenon.\u00a0Occupational therapy international<\/em>,\u00a010<\/em>(4), 227-238.<\/p>\n 3: Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About sleep’s role in memory.\u00a0Physiological reviews<\/em>.<\/p>\n 4: https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescoachescouncil\/2023\/05\/04\/what-about-burnout\/?sh=363383d1538e<\/a><\/p>\n 5: Chandler, D. J. (2009). Pastoral burnout and the impact of personal spiritual renewal, rest-taking, and support system practices.\u00a0Pastoral Psychology<\/em>,\u00a058<\/em>, 273-287.<\/p>\n Rest taking identified as essential for burnout prevention<\/p>\n 6: https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbescoachescouncil\/2021\/06\/15\/unlock-the-benefits-of-taking-a-work-break\/<\/a><\/p>\nHow Impact can help:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u00a0References<\/h4>\n