The Importance Of Relaxation To Improve Productivity

For many, productivity and relaxation are completely incompatible terms. But this is far from reality. In fact, relaxation is essential to “reset” the mind and prepare for a period of effective and satisfying productivity.

Tiredness and stress build up throughout the week. That’s why it’s important to rest on the weekend. The same happens throughout the day, and that is why it is necessary to stop and relax, so that the time spent on tasks gives better results.

The importance of seeking relaxation in free time

Some studies show that  people tend to need more free time when they’re stressed. This extra relaxation is used to compensate for the drop in mood and vitality that excess stress can cause. This compensation helps reduce stress and promotes increased productivity and emotional balance.

However,  the main problem with using free time for stress relief is that we only have a limited amount of  that time in the day. Also, many people don’t include free time in their schedule, and even time to eat is limited.

Many people believe that increasing your leisure time can be counterproductive when you are too busy, that relaxing is wasting time and that this time only helps to increase stress thinking that there is still a lot to do.

But free time is key to maintaining balance, releasing accumulated tension and preparing to face the next challenge. Rest is essential to recharge your energy and increase your productivity.

Do you really know your needs?

Knowing what your leisure time goals are and keeping in mind a list of things you can do to meet these goals will help you to value your leisure time more and plan to achieve them.

Your goals for your free time might be to ease a tired mind or improve your mood, for example. No one knows better than you what you need and how long it takes to get it.

Look for activities that allow you to relax in a short time

One of the problems with taking advantage of free time is that most people have very busy schedules. That’s why it’s important to find ways to relax that don’t take a lot of time and that suit everyone’s tastes. Thus, in a short time, it is possible to obtain great benefits. These activities can be watching or listening to a humor program, reading, walking, running or going out for coffee outside the workplace, among many other possibilities.

Motivate yourself in a positive way.

For many people, stopping and resting is a great achievement, as they have to overcome many prejudices accumulated over the years in relation to this topic. But this rest will help you to perform more and feel much better in the end, not to burn out and find greater satisfaction and motivation in what you do.

If you are one of these people, make the effort to positively motivate yourself. Rest will help you to avoid the feeling of exhaustion and to go deeper into what you have to do, clear your mind and find more creative and effective solutions to the problems you encounter.

Relax to be less reactive to stress

When stress levels are lower, we are less likely to need that much free time  to balance out those stressful days. By making a habit of taking a few free moments, we can prevent stress from building up and also increase the ability to control reactions when stress builds up. Some of these habits are as follows:

• Exercise regularly (yes, it is possible to exercise every day).
• Doing meditation.
• Be grateful for nurturing positive thinking.