BZ Book Review 19: <Rest> by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Key Takeaways
1. Getting a good night’s sleep, taking a vacation and nurturing your hobbies, does not just keep you in top physical and mental health, but also does wonders of creativity, concentration and cognitive performance.
2. Boost your creativity by getting an early start, get up around 5-6 am in the morning then work for 4 hours. You can get a lot done in the morning than a lot people can do in a day.
3. Recharge yourself by taking a long walk or fitting in a midday nap.
4. Choose the right moment to put down the tools and quit works wonders for your creativity. Take it from Ernest Hemingway, Always stop when you know what is going to happen.
5. A good night’s sleep help you prepare for creative work. Stage 4 and REM deep sleep are the most important phases when it comes to brain growth and memory consolidation.
Stage 4 sleep aka ‘slow wave sleep’ is when your body release growth hormone called GHRH, which is used to repair bruises, fight infections and replace old cells.
REM is when your body produces myelin, a protective fat that’s vital for healthy neural function and memory.
6. Prevent burnout by taking time out to rest and recover. How to maximize your rest.
Relaxation
Control - refers to how long you need to rest to fully recover
Mastery experiences - are mentally stimulating, challenging and rewarding tasks that you are good at. The are good . activities to unwind because they are so absorbing.
Detachment - all about getting away from your daily routine both literally and in spirit.
7. Exercise to recharge your cognitive performance.
8. Cultivate your favorite hobby and engage in deep play. Totally lose yourself in that,.
