respite is an essential component of both productivity and creativity
Periods of intensity and rest
What I found is a community of people including scientists and artists and authors who follow this pattern of working very intensively a few hours a day and then resting deliberately in various ways.
Not working has become a cultural norm for laziness
We have adopted industrial-age attitudes, and they don’t really work for us. There is also a long-standing assumption that not working hard is morally suspect.
Taking refreshing breask like walks can help with problem solving
When you do things like go for a long walk, your subconscious mind keeps working on problems. The experience of having the mind slightly relaxed allows it to explore different combinations of ideas, to test out different solutions. And then once it has arrived at one that looks promising, that is what pops into your head as an Aha! moment. The people I looked at are able to construct daily schedules that allow them to draw on that process in little increments.
Rest is not passive. Rest is not an optional leftover activity.
I thought about rest as much more passive and as something you do when you’re finished with everything else you have going on. I now firmly believe that is wrong. Rest is not this optional leftover activity. Work and rest are actually partners.
Take moments of waiting to let your mind wander
I am a lot more conscious now when I am in line at the bank or have a couple free minutes; rather than pulling up my phone and checking e-mail, I will let my mind wander. I think it’s a good discipline and I think I have become better at crafting those moments that invite insight. And I carry around a little notebook and pen all the time now