A Change IS a Rest

A Change IS a Rest

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.

Get the show notes at aom.is/rest.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(1159)

#160: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make You Healthier, Happier, and Smarter

#160: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make You Healthier, Happier, and Smarter

For the past year I've been doing a lot of research on the benefits of face-to-face conversation, and looking for more ways to incorporate it into my own life. One of the books that really helped is c...

4 Dec 201544min

#159: Stronger, Faster, Harder to Kill

#159: Stronger, Faster, Harder to Kill

Last year I got an email out of the blue from a guy named Tod Moore inviting me to a weekend of doing various man skills: shooting guns, butchering animals, doing obstacle races. Of course, I was in. ...

1 Dec 201540min

#158: The Prime of Life — What It Means to Be an Adult

#158: The Prime of Life — What It Means to Be an Adult

There's been a transformation in the West about what it means to be a grown up. There used to be scripts to follow, and markers to meet which would mean you're an adult. But those scripts have been th...

24 Nov 201548min

#157: Primitive Pursuits & Winter Survival

#157: Primitive Pursuits & Winter Survival

Winter is coming. If you like to be in the outdoors, one thing you need to start thinking about is what would happen if you were stuck in the wilderness with nothing but your wits. Would you be able t...

20 Nov 201532min

#156: Lost Detective - The Life and Times of Dashiell Hammett

#156: Lost Detective - The Life and Times of Dashiell Hammett

If you enjoy shows like The Wire or True Detective, or film noir, there's one guy you can thank for that: Dashiell Hammett. He was a writer in the 1920s-1940s, and he is the guy who created the modern...

17 Nov 201546min

#155: Reclaiming Conversation

#155: Reclaiming Conversation

More and more today, we're communicating with the people in our lives through screens. While this has greatly improved efficiency, there are some drawbacks that have come with the decline in face-to-f...

13 Nov 201551min

#154: Strength Training for Everyone with Matt Reynolds

#154: Strength Training for Everyone with Matt Reynolds

Matt Reynolds, a former power lifter and Strong Man competitor, is the co-owner of a gym in Springfield, MO called Strong Gym. He's been coaching me online, and I've seen significant improvement in my...

10 Nov 201542min

#153: Microaggressions and The Rise of Victimhood Culture

#153: Microaggressions and The Rise of Victimhood Culture

In the last few years we've seen an interesting phenomenon, especially on college campuses, where students will take slights or even just awkwardness incredibly sensitively and emotionally. Two sociol...

6 Nov 201557min

Populärt inom Utbildning

historiepodden-se
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
det-skaver
alska-oss
nu-blir-det-historia
johannes-hansen-podcast
not-fanny-anymore
roda-vita-rosen
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
sektledare
rss-viktmedicinpodden
allt-du-velat-veta
rss-foraldramotet-bring-lagercrantz
sa-in-i-sjalen
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
rss-max-tant-med-max-villman
rss-psykoterapipodden
i-vantan-pa-katastrofen
rss-basta-livet
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd