In this insightful discussion, Alex Soojung Kim-Pang, a writer and consultant specializing in productivity and rest, shares his expertise on the necessity of redefining rest. He argues that quality rest is an active pursuit, essential for both creativity and productivity. Alex explains how mind-wandering can enhance our problem-solving abilities, and why incorporating structured rest and hobbies into our routines is vital. He draws on inspiring stories from notable figures to advocate for a balanced work-life approach that fosters growth and rejuvenation.
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insights INSIGHT
Modern Burnout
Modern burnout stems from shifting success models, emphasizing spectacular achievements over steady progress.
This, coupled with job instability and difficulty measuring productivity, has led to overwork as a proxy for commitment.
insights INSIGHT
Rest as a Skill
Rest is active recovery of mental and physical energy, not just passive relaxation.
It's a skill, improvable with practice, boosting both recovery and creativity.
insights INSIGHT
The Default Mode Network
Downtime activates the default mode network in the brain, responsible for visual thinking and creativity.
This network works on unsolved problems, leading to insights and breakthroughs when you're not actively focused on them.
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In 'Rest,' Alex Soojung-Kim Pang challenges the myth that harder work leads to better outcomes. He combines scientific research with historical examples of writers, painters, and thinkers to demonstrate the importance of 'deliberate rest' in enhancing productivity and creativity. The book emphasizes the need to treat rest as an active and essential part of a balanced life, highlighting practices such as daily naps, long walks, and deep play to achieve fulfillment and success.
One of my favorite sayings is that "a change is as good as a rest." It captures an idea I've found true in my own life, that doing something different, even if it takes effort, is just as rejuvenating, and in fact more so, than doing nothing.
Well, my guest today would tweak this maxim slightly to say that a change IS a rest. His name is Alex Soojung Kim-Pang, and he's a writer, consultant, and academic, as well as the author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. We begin our conversation with why many people feel overworked in the modern age, how quality rest is an antidote, and how Alex defines rest as something that can be active rather than passive, and even thought of as a skill. We discuss why rest is valuable even with seemingly unstrenuous knowledge work, and how apparently unproductive mind-wandering can in fact make you more productive and creative. Alex shares how many hours of focused cognitive work you’re really capable of putting in each day and how successful people tend to set up their daily routine, including why it's effective to stop work each day in the middle of a task. We also discuss why you want to layer periods of rest and work in your schedule, how hobbies offer a sense of autonomy that's crucial in making rest refreshing, and how exercise plays a key role in recovery from work, even amongst brainy intellectuals. Along the way, Alex shares insights from the lives of eminent men like Eisenhower, Hemingway, and Viktor Frankl on how to get better rest, become better at your craft, and lengthen the longevity of your career.
The Art of Manliness 