Picture a CEO bragging about not taking a day off in seven years—like he’d earned a medal in the War on Downtime. Then came the “mystery illness,” the endless fatigue that no amount of caffeine could fix, and a board suggesting he step away for a while. 

When he finally took a week off—no laptop, no calls—he came back with two breakthroughs: one for his business, one for his life. He realized both were running him instead of the other way around.

Window: The ROI of Rest

Modern business culture glorifies doing, doing, and more doing. Sleep less, crush more goals, and check off more boxes. Rest becomes the thing we do after success—if there’s time left.

Yet research shows otherwise: Downtime fuels creativity, clarity, and emotional regulation. A Harvard study found that strategic rest increases long-term productivity by up to 30%. Meanwhile, chronic overwork can cut cognitive performance in half.

And leaders who model rest? Their teams are 55% more engaged and 31% less likely to burn out, according to a Gallup 2024 poll. Translation: Rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a smart leadership strategy.

The Power of Pausing

Rest isn’t just sleep or vacation. It’s a mindset—balancing being and doing. Arianna Huffington built an entire company, Thrive Global, on the idea that rest restores humanity to business. Even Einstein credited his breakthroughs to long walks and “idleness.”

Rest doesn’t stop the work. It makes the work better.

Mirror: Self-Reflective Questions

• When was the last time you truly unplugged—no email, no mental to-do list?
• How does your leadership change when you operate from rest instead of rush?
• What message does your rest (or lack of it) send to your team?

Lead Smarter, Not Harder

Ready to lead with more clarity and less burnout? Great leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about knowing when to pause, reset, and return with sharper thinking. If you want to build a workplace where rest fuels performance and your team shows up energized. Reach out today to explore how coaching can help you lead smarter, not harder.

Door into Amare Action: 5 Techniques for Productive Rest

1. Schedule sacred pauses. Block “white space” on your calendar. Treat it like a meeting with your best self.

2. Rebrand rest as ROI. Track the insights, solutions, and better decisions that come after taking time off. Share these stories with your team.

3. Lead by example. Tell your team when you’re unplugging—and that they should, too. Better yet, build rest into company rhythms (like does your team truly need to come back for a day or two between Christmas and New Year’s?)

4. Practice micro-rest moments. Do one-minute meditations, a mindful breath before meetings, or stepping outside between Zoom calls to reset your nervous system and improve focus.

5. Own your meetings. Book 45-minute meetings instead of 60 and use those extra minutes to review, recharge, and reset.

Amare Team Talk

• In a team meeting, reflect on organizational norms or habits in your culture that discourage rest. Discuss together how you might integrate rest and renewal into your daily workflow.
• Then, agree on one experiment: outside walking meetings, a creative quiet hour where people can think without interruption, or a 10-minute midday recharge break. Notice what changes.

Rest and Rise

Great leaders know that rest refuels purpose, perspective, and presence. After all, we’re human beings, not human doings.

Leadership isn’t an endurance contest. When you rest, you return to your work with sharper thinking, a steadier heart, and a truer sense of what matters.

The best leaders don’t just keep going—they know when to rest. They have the wisdom and courage to stop long enough to see clearly again. And that makes space for real power to show up.

Restfully,

Moshe

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” 

— Anne Lamott, American novelist

   

Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:

5 Amare Steps to Revive the Spirit of Your Organization: A Leadership Essential

How to Lead Through Hard Times Without Adding Suffering to Your Load

Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: It’s Your Leadership Lifeline

Stop Ruminating, Start Savoring: A 5-Step Mindful Shift for Leaders

5 Pillars of Empathic Leadership That Can Transform Your Organization

   

Original article published on Inc.com.