The Benefits of a Rest Day for Educators

Last week I wanted to take a complete rest day with no exercise, work, or personal responsibilities. It was unusual for me to take an entire day and do nothing. I started the day by drinking coffee and reading. After reading, I decided to watch football and relax, but boredom set in fast. Now what? It was only eleven o'clock and most of the day remained. I started feeling guilty about not doing something productive. I could be starting a house project, writing a new blog post, creating new professional development courses, or exercising. Books about productivity tell us to be successful, we always need to stay busy, have side projects, and constantly learn. I strive to follow this model and be productive.

Is working all the time a best practice for health and happiness?

A study of factory workers by John Pencavel at Stanford says productivity falls dramatically after 50 hours per week. Another study by Afonso, Fonseca, and Pires says that working over 48 hours per week is detrimental to our health. To maintain work productivity, experts suggest we take at least one full day off per week. Dan Buettner, who studied the lives of the longest living cultures in his book The Blue Zones of Happiness, suggests that working between 30 and 35 hours per week is best for long-term health and happiness.

How much should we work to be effective and productive?

Utilizing the guidelines above, we can practice working different hours to find the number of work hours that support our well-being. The goal is to find the sweet spot where we have good energy and concentrate on tasks efficiently and effectively. Humans can only focus on challenging cognitive tasks like research and writing for about 3.8 hours per day. In addition, a study by Borna Bonakdarpour says that for every two hours of focused work, people need a 20-to-30-minute break. For our work time to be effective and productive, we must add balance with rest.

How does rest fit into a joyful and productive work life?

Rest is a behavior that increases physical and mental well-being but is not the same as sleep. Rest is a break from work's mental, physical, and emotional stress and can be active and passive. Walking is a popular active restful activity. Sitting, meditating, or napping are examples of passive, restful activities. It is essential to choose the type of rest that works for you.

I like to work on my personal and professional goals daily and stay on top of my current projects through consistent practice. To support a consistent and productive workday, I take rest breaks. I like to walk and listen to the sounds of nature. As I walk, new creative ideas flow, and I think about what I am currently writing and the ideas that connect to it. My rest breaks last about five minutes, and then I return to work.

In our practice, we may become comfortable taking rest breaks during the day, but what are the increased benefits of taking an entire rest day?

The practice of taking an entire day of rest once every week offers benefits for our professional and personal lives. Beth Deyo shared in an online article, "Five reasons why taking time off work is good for you." how the benefits from time away from work support our well-being and practice as educators.

Mental Clarity – When we work too much, our thoughts become cloudy, creativity slows, and we feel more stress. Taking a day to rest the brain and body reboots our mental clarity, boosts motivation and enhances our concentration ability.

Improved Productivity – As we work more hours and fatigue, simple tasks become challenging, and our passion and drive for work decrease. Scheduling a rest day helps us return to work refreshed and ready to face new challenges. Rest days boost our immunity and keep us healthy and available for work.

Better Balance – The perfect work and life balance does not exist. We all experience periods of increased work demands, but we can strive to incorporate our hobbies and interests outside of work and foster more harmony in life. Connecting with another part of ourselves helps us be more creative, productive, and happy at work.

Improved Focus – Doing the same daily tasks can wear us down physically and mentally. Time away from work invites us to reflect on our professional life and helps us develop new methods of practice to enhance our work life.

Better Relationships – The busyness of work can consume us if we are not careful. Often our work comes home with us and disrupts our relationships with others. Each week, taking a rest day gives us time to connect with the people we care about, rejuvenate, and celebrate living life together.

Taking at least one day off per week will benefit educators who work in a constantly busy and challenging helping profession.

Back in my living room, I continued to sit and think about the work I was not doing. Then I decided to blend some active and passive activities and enjoy my rest day. I went for a walk, listened to music, read a book, and played disc golf. The time away from the computer was nice. I enjoyed having time to reflect and think about what is essential in life. The next day, I was back at work feeling refreshed and committed to taking another rest day next week. I am not sure how long this practice will last. The pressure to keep working and producing something is intense. I will do my best to preserve one rest day per week to nurture my personal growth and wellness.

How many rest days do you take per week?

What activities do you enjoy on your rest day(s)?

Do your rest day activities lean toward active or passive?