12/20/2024 15:30:00 +0800
• Understand why taking a complete break during Christmas is essential for resetting your mind and building the capacity to tackle bigger challenges in the new year.
• Discover the science of how rest activates the brain's creativity and problem-solving networks, consolidates learning, and even flushes out toxins.
I just wrapped up the last CFO Boardroom of the year, and as the session wound down, the conversation naturally shifted to Christmas plans.
Family trips, new hobbies, skill building and catching up on their 'to-be-read' pile on their bedside tables were all on people's to-do lists. It was clear that the participants in the room were oscillating between wanting to rest and wanting to use the time off from the grind to develop and grow.
For the sort of ambitious, growth-minded individuals who naturally self-select when they join my CFO Boardroom program, it's natural for my clients to ask themselves, "How do I build capacity within myself over the Christmas break to take on bigger things in the new year?"
My answer? By doing nothing at all.
Why Rest is as Important as Action
It sounds counterintuitive, but taking the time to step back and do nothing is one of the most strategic career moves you can make.
The Christmas break presents an opportunity, sometimes your only opportunity all year, to recharge, recalibrate, and allow your brain to do its best heavy lifting. All whilst vegetating on the couch.
When I trained as a run leader, one of the first lessons I learned was that rest days are just as critical as training days. Your muscles don't grow stronger while you're running - they grow during the recovery period afterward.
The same is true for your brain.
Years ago, I learned this lesson the hard way. I booked a stay at the Golden Door health retreat, intending to "relax." But instead of resting, I treated it like I was training to go into battle. Tai chi at dawn, a circuit class after breakfast, HIIT classes at mid-morning, hikes after lunch, and aqua aerobics in the afternoon. By the time I left, I was burnt out - irritable, depleted, and creatively drained.
I'd turned what should have been a period of restoration into yet another exercise in overachievement.
Neuroscience explains why I felt so terrible.
A balance of rest and growth was the focus for our
CFO Boardroom members last week!
The Science of Rest and Brain Growth
When we rest, our brains shift into a Theta state, a unique rhythm that can stimulate creativity, memory, and insight into our subconscious.
It's the state you enter when daydreaming, meditating, or drifting off to sleep - moments when your mind connects dots and percolates the thoughts and ideas that live just below the surface, ready to pop into your head whilst you're in the shower and have you lunging for a notepad (I keep a
Shower Mate Waterproof Notepad in the shower for this exact reason).
Research has shown that during rest, our brain consolidates information and strengthens neural pathways.
A
study at the University of California demonstrated that the nap you take between trips to the fridge to load up on cold ham and leftover potato salad improves memory retention and problem-solving skills by up to 40%.
Rest can improve your physical health too. According to the
Sydney University Faculty of Medicine and Health, regular relaxation can lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation, delay the onset and progression of disease, reduce duration of illness and hasten a return to better health. It can even decrease anxiety and improve mood.
That's a pretty compelling argument in favour of taking to the couch!
Relearning a 2,500 Year Old Lesson
Hippocrates routinely advocated rest and understood the importance of relaxation for mental and physical health.
2,500 years later, this remains a hard sell for many of us. We still think that we have to engineer and force our own growth.
Whilst it's true that we have to set aside the time for rest, we also have to have a bit of faith in the process.
Much like a plant grows naturally in between planting and harvest - when it's nurtured but not constantly tended - our minds need space to flourish.
In his book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Wayne Dyer writes:
"The most profound breakthroughs often occur in moments of stillness. Force closes the door to creativity, while rest opens it."
His work highlights a paradox that many high achievers struggle with: the harder you push, the more elusive breakthroughs become.
Dyer argues that when we allow ourselves to step back and stop overthinking, our brain naturally activates the default mode network (DMN), the part of the brain that becomes active during rest.
His insights highlight that rest is not the opposite of productivity but a necessary ingredient in it.
The Magic of the In-Between
One of the hardest lessons I've had to learn, as someone who thrives on feelings of achievement, is that not everything can be planned for. Growth, creativity, and capacity-building don't always happen on a linear schedule. Sometimes, they unfold quietly in the background when we stop trying to force them.
That's why this Christmas, I'll be heading to the same beachside retreat my family visits every year.
We'll eat at the same little pizza place, swim at the same beach, and walk the same familiar bush trails. To some, it might sound boring, but for me, it's the ultimate reset - a chance to unplug, reconnect, and let the magic of the in-between teach me things it's not possible for me to learn during the year.
Finding Stillness in the Festive Frenzy
My wish for you is that you enter 2025 well rested and brimming with energy, new ideas, and the capacity to take on everything that the new year has in store for you.
As you look toward the holiday season, ask yourself:
What would a truly restful New Year's break look like for you?
How might you create space for creativity and clarity in the run up to 2025?
I'd love to hear your thoughts...
