Rest Is Part of the Work

You treat rest
as what's left over
after the real work.

So it's the first thing cut,
and you wonder why
the afternoons go foggy.

Focus isn't infinite.
It's a tank that drains,
and it only refills one way.

The break isn't a reward
you haven't earned yet.
It's maintenance on the tool
you're using to think.

Skip it and you don't get more done.
You get more hours
of worse work.

Step away on purpose.
Walk. Look at nothing.
Let the tank fill.

The best ideas rarely come
while you're grinding.
They come in the gap
you almost didn't take.

Rest is not the opposite of work.
It's part of doing it well.

– Serguey Asael Shinder