Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

Description

Learning to take time out- the smartest lifehack of all "Take a break and read Rest- you'll make smarter decisions, have better relationships, and be happier and more creative" James Wallman, author of Stuffocation Do you regularly find yourself too tired after a long day at your desk to do anything other than binge TV, or scroll mindlessly through social media? Do you go on holiday and still compulsively check your email? Do you work through your lunch-break, often not even leaving your desk to get some fresh air? For most of us, overwork is the new norm, and we never truly take the time to rest and recharge. But as Silicon Valley consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang explains in this groundbreaking book, rest needs to be taken seriously and to be done properly, because when you rest better you work better. Drawing on emerging neuroscience, Rest is packed with easy practical tips for incorporating rest into our everyday- - Go for a long walk to stimulate and sustain creativity - Schedule deliberate active rest periods into your diary to try out new activities like painting or learning a language - Stop working on a task when you know what the next step will be, this will make it easier to get started the next day - Take a nap during the day to increase alertness, boost your concentration and decrease fatigue - Get good quality sleep at night to stay healthy, solidify memories and generate new ideas When you rest better you'll find that it won't just be your work which improves - you'll have more time for hobbies, stronger relationships and you'll sleep better, too. "An incredibly timely read for my own increasingly rest-starved life. This might be the book to finally persuade us that downtime isn't in conflict with good work; rather, it's an essential ingredient of it" Oliver Burkeman, Guardian

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, PhD, has spent two decades studying people, technology, and the worlds they make. A Silicon Valley-based futurist and consultant, he has worked with gov- ernments and Fortune 500 companies; spoken at venues ranging from CIA headquarters to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to the Googleplex; and held academic positions at Stanford and Oxford universities. His last book, Rest- Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, is available in a dozen languages. Follow @askpang on Twitter and Instagram, or visit strategy.rest.

Take a break and read Rest: you'll make smarter decisions, have better relationships, and be happier and more creative. * James Wallman, author of 'Stuffocation' * An incredibly timely read - for this moment in history, but also in my own increasingly rest-starved life. This might be the book to finally persuade us that downtime isn't in conflict with good work; rather, it's an essential ingredient of it. -- Oliver Burkeman, Guardian columnist and author of 'The Antidote' If work is our national religion, Pang is the philosopher reintegrating our bifurcated selves -- Arianna Huffington * New York Times Book Review * Alex Soojung-Kim Pang shows us how much more productive we can be by spending less time in noisy open-plan offices . . . It should be compulsory reading for office managers everywhere -- Katie Law * Evening Standard * Read this book, and you'll see how time off helps us learn and create better -- Ferran Adria, 3-Star Michelin chef and founder of El Bulli Want to be creative and get more done? We used to think only hard work was the answer. This beautifully researched book debunks the "work till you drop" myth by describing how intentional rest is crucial for being your best. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including neuroscience, the arts and psychology, Rest will fundamentally change the way we see work in the years to come. Give it to your boss! Give it to your work-obsessed spouse! Give it to your frazzled office buddies! A new paradigm of work is emerging and this fascinating book will be an indispensable guide -- Peter Fleming author of 'The Mythology of Work' I love Rest. It places rest back on the pedestal it so clearly deserves and generously points out - through great stories and acute insight - things to reflect on and build into our own lives. * Rohan Gunatillake, Founder of Mindfulness Everywhere and creator of the bestselling buddhify app * Good books are interesting and valuable; but the best books reframe the way you see the world, getting you thinking differently about everyday situations and assumptions. Rest does just that. With a fascinating combination of research and historical examples, your view of rest - as what you do when you are not working - is turned upside down. A thoroughly enjoyable, insightful and life-enhancing book. * Tony Crabbe, International Business Psychologist * In his Fascinating, well-researched and highly readable new book, Dr pang makes an excellent case for the critical importance of rest in our lives. You will consider how and why you rest in a completely new light after reading this book. * Wendy Suzuki, Professor of neural Science and Psychology, author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life * It's high noon for the global economy's thinking class, who are locked in a losing battle for clarity in a crowded, clickable world. This book is a science packed call to arms: it's time to claim rest as a right and pay close attention to the needs of our beleaguered brains. * Anthony Townsend, author of Smart Cities * You're holding some terrific advice in your hands on the virtues of walking, napping, and playing. Pang has written a delightful and thought-provoking book on the science of restful living. * Clive Thompson, author of Smarter Than You Think * Pang offers original and often inspired ideas * San Francisco Chronicle (on The Distraction Addiction) * Amusing and edifying * Washington Post (on The Distraction Addiction) * Skeptical without pandering to technophobia or neuroscience * The New Yorker (on The Digital Distraction) *