How to use a day off from work to recharge your energy, focus & motivation

Purposeful idleness is no small task. A few tips:

• Start with small sessions and take the time to build up your endurance.
• To help you do nothing, keep your devices out of reach (or out of the room) and re-orient your furniture away from the TV and out a window.
• Try open-ended toys or games like kinetic sand that promote idleness.

It means engaging with restful activities that are often vigorous and mentally engaging.

Deliberate rest activities help you relax and recharge as they focus on something tangential (or completely unrelated) to your work. Examples: playing chess, painting, editing photos, etc.

Committing to crossing one of them off of your to-do list on a day off can improve your overall well-being.

Whether you’ve been putting off answering an email, calling a friend, writing up your personal budget, or anything else, a day off is a great time to catch up.

Too many of us equate doing something with being busy. We don’t need to fill every moment of our lives—both at work and at home—being productive. 

Engaging in doing nothing can help you be more creative. It can also make you more productive and focused when you return to work as you’ve had time to get out of your head, disconnect, and see the bigger picture.

Deliberate Rest means engaging with restful activities that are often vigorous and mentally engaging.

For example, Winston Churchill and Victor Hugo painted while Leo Tolstoy played chess.

Most of us put off tasks that stress us out. Unfortunately, this avoidance kicks off a cycle of procrastination that just causes more stress. 

Instead, committing to crossing one of them off of your to-do list on a day off can improve your overall well-being.