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)

The (Non-Cliche) Life Lessons of Fly Fishing

The (Non-Cliche) Life Lessons of Fly Fishing

Fishing has long lent itself to imparting philosophical parallels and metaphorical life lessons. But these homespun platitudes can, to be honest, tend to get a little timeworn and cliche. My guest to...

5 Maj 202147min

The Best Tools for Personal Change

The Best Tools for Personal Change

There's no shortage of information out there on how to change — how to lose weight, exercise more, curb your anger, quit smoking, and every other kind of habit someone might want to pick up or drop. B...

3 Maj 202146min

How to Keep Your Edge as You Get Older

How to Keep Your Edge as You Get Older

It's a common life trajectory for men: graduate college, get married, get a 9 to 5 job, have some kids, settle down in the suburbs. And somewhere along that way, they start to get a little soft and st...

28 Apr 202143min

The Hidden Qualities of Genius

The Hidden Qualities of Genius

We tend to throw the word "genius" around pretty casually, saying so-and-so has a genius for a particular skill, or sarcastically pointing out someone's failure by saying, "Nice work, genius!" But wha...

26 Apr 202140min

One Man's Impossible Quest — To Make Friends in Adulthood

One Man's Impossible Quest — To Make Friends in Adulthood

Several years ago, there was a tweet that went viral which said that of Jesus' many miracles, perhaps his greatest, was having 12 close friends in his 30s. As people say, it's funny, because it's true...

21 Apr 202137min

Why Are We Restless?

Why Are We Restless?

Most everyone has experienced restlessness from time to time. A feeling of wanting more, but being unsure of how to find it; of struggling with distraction, but being unsure of what to focus on; of st...

19 Apr 202148min

The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini

The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini

Quick, think of a famous magician. Dimes to donuts, you just thought of Harry Houdini. Though it's been almost a century since his death, Houdini still occupies a prime place in the cultural imaginati...

14 Apr 202153min

The No-Nonsense Guide to Simplifying Every Aspect of Your Life

The No-Nonsense Guide to Simplifying Every Aspect of Your Life

Before Gary Collins left a bureaucratic government job to pursue a more independent existence off the grid, he had to work on downsizing and decluttering his life. The lessons he learned in ultimately...

12 Apr 202150min

Populärt inom Utbildning

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