Recognizing all the facets of rest can significantly enhance our effectiveness as leaders and, by extension, our teams’ and organizations’ success. Today, we’re going to talk about the dangers of not getting the rest we need and how we can leverage Eight Forms of Rest to build a robust culture, inspire innovation, and maintain high levels of engagement across our teams… and take care of ourselves too.

Leaders who neglect proper rest often think they’re only harming themselves. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! A lack of rest can result in:

• Decision fatigue
• Impaired problem-solving
• Diminished emotional resilience
• Weakened or inconsistent leadership presence

This lack of rest can cascade throughout our teams and organization, manifesting as reduced morale and productivity, which in turn fosters an environment rife with errors and conflicts.

At an organizational level, a culture that doesn’t value rest stifles innovation because creativity and change require a fresh and rested mind to see beyond the obvious. Tired organizations also see higher turnover rates, leading to significant costs in recruiting and training, ultimately affecting the organization’s competitive edge and bottom line.

Arresting burnout and avoiding the negatives I mentioned above is not merely about doing less and sleeping more.

The practices below foster resilience, creativity, and sustainability in yourself as a leader and, when applied at scale, across the organizations you lead. This list expands on the work of Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, who says “Rest isn’t about stopping or escaping. It’s about finding a deficit and pouring back into it.”

1. Physical Rest: Building Resilience

For leaders, physical rest goes beyond mere relaxation; it’s about resilience. Regular, restorative sleep, breaks like the coffee nap, and relaxation exercises both recharge a leader’s physical energy and improve decision-making and problem-solving abilities.

2. Mental Rest: Clearing Space for Strategic Thinking

We are in a constant state of juggling multiple responsibilities as well as the countless demands of many stakeholders, making mental clutter a huge challenge. By setting aside time for activities such as journaling, meditative practices, and other structured “unplugging” periods, we can clear our minds and improve focus.

I routinely engage in an “end of day / week / month brain dump,” where I write out every thought onto sticky notes, without organizing them. Only when I am empty do I start organizing the thoughts and determining what to do with the ideas, information, and concerns.

3. Sensory Rest: Reducing Overstimulation

In this digital world, we are constantly bombarded with information and sensory input. We weren’t made for this constant flow of communication and stimulation. Implementing practices like minimizing screen time before bed and creating quiet, serene spaces at work can help mitigate sensory overload. This type of rest enhances concentration and prevents the cognitive drain that often leads to decision fatigue.

4. Creative Rest: Sparking Innovation

Creative rest is essential for maintaining any kind of innovative edge in business. Whether it’s visiting a museum, engaging with music, or having a lively conversation about a topic completely unrelated to work, engaging in creative activities allows the brain to approach problems from different angles. This break from routine tasks can lead to novel solutions and improved problem-solving skills.

5. Social Rest: Nurturing Meaningful Connections

Social interactions can either drain or energize us. Engaging with supportive and uplifting people helps recharge our social batteries. Or, if you are a fellow introvert, this could mean spending time in solitude.  Leaders who model and encourage balanced, positive social interactions foster a workplace culture that enhances team cohesion and morale.

6. Spiritual Rest: Aligning with Core Values

Practices like meditation, connecting with nature, service work, or engaging in creative endeavors that resonate with our deeper values provide spiritual rest. But, this kind of rest goes beyond detachment from the day to day —it involves connecting with something greater than oneself.  Reminding ourselves that what we do has a larger purpose refuels our spirit and sparks fresh thinking.

We spend a good majority of our time at work, so for many of us, finding a sense of purpose in our work is required to feel satisfied. As leaders, we have to anchor on our own Why (i.e., Why do I want to lead? Why do I want this effort to succeed?) and to connect the work to our people’s own Why’s. Engaging in thoughtful reflection of those Why’s is recharging because it aligns personal and professional life with overarching life goals.

7. Emotional Rest: Cultivating Emotional Resilience

Leadership requires significant emotional labor, requiring us to constantly manage both our own and teammates’ emotions.  People closely watch what leaders say, do, and what they don’t. Engaging in emotional rest means freely expressing your thoughts and emotions, without needing to filter, strategize, or worry about how they might be received.

As a leader, this often takes the form of talking things through with a trusted confidante who can be internal (e.g., chief of staff or a mentor) or external (e.g., coach) to the organization. Many of my one-on-one conversations with clients fall into this space. Because I deeply understand our clients’ contexts but am not directly involved and our talks are confidential, our time together becomes a respite that allows clients to clear their thinking and refresh their emotions.

For your teams, creating an environment that encourages safe expression greatly benefits personal well-being and enhances their resilience. It allows them to focus on the work together, versus worrying about how they may be judged.

8. Ego Rest: Shifting Focus Outward

Ego rest involves shifting our focus from ourselves to others and their needs. Our natural constant preoccupation with our own needs and problems often heightens stress and anxiety. But by engaging in acts of kindness or offering support to someone (such as mentoring, compassionate listening, or focusing on solving their problems), we aid in the well-being of others while also renewing our emotional resilience. As a mentor once said to me, “If you want to feel better, make someone else feel better.”

On teams, engaging in this type of rest strengthens the bond between team members. It allows them to know each other more deeply as humans, not just co-workers, which benefits team cohesion and performance.

As you take a break from your busy day to read this article, I invite you to engage in active rest by mulling over these questions:

• Where do you find yourself fully recharged?
• Where do you feel most depleted?
• Considering the five people you interact with most frequently each week, how are their energy levels? What might this reveal about the dynamics within your team or organization?
• What is one thing you can try this week to improve your rest? (Note: You don’t need to commit to doing it in perpetuity. Just try it on for size, then decide to keep this change if it serves you, your team, or your organization.)

Are you ready to embrace rest to fuel better results?