We live in a society that values high productivity, constant striving, and always being 'on.' Businesses want maximum output from their employees while they're at work, and there's an emphasis on using your free time to further improve your skills or career. The idea that you should always be efficiently working towards some goal is pervasive.
However, this mindset that we must be in high gear at all times is simply unsustainable and can be detrimental if taken to the extreme. The truth is, it's not possible or healthy to always be operating at maximum efficiency. Sometimes our bodies and minds need a break from pushing hard. We all need periods of rest, relaxation, and lower productivity to recharge.
Rather than feeling guilty about times you want to downshift or aren't achieving as much as normal, it's important to make space for these phases in your routine. Downshifting periodically is crucial for maintaining optimal performance over the long-term. In this article, I want to explore why allowing yourself to coast at times is not only acceptable but can actually work to your benefit.
The Value of Downtime
When we're constantly running at high speeds, it's easy to burn out. Our minds and bodies were not designed to be in overdrive indefinitely without breaks. Regular downtime is necessary for recharging both our physical and mental energy levels.
During less busy phases, your body gets a chance to fully relax. This downtime supports better sleep, management of stress levels, digestion, immune function and more. Mental health also depends on periods of lower stimulation. Constant problem-solving and task-focused mindsets are depleting. We need breaks just to unwind our thoughts.
Downtime promotes creativity as well. When our minds aren't preoccupied with ongoing to-do lists and projects, we make space for novel ideas to emerge. Insights are more likely to come during leisure activities when our thoughts can wander freely, versus when we're in crunch mode trying to check items off a list. The ability to see connections between disparate concepts often originates from this unfocused thought process.
More Strategic Use of Time
While it may feel counterintuitive, taking deliberate steps back from time to time means we can ultimately be more strategic with our efforts and see better long-term results. When in a lower gear, we gain a higher-level perspective on our goals and routines.
This bird's eye view creates opportunities for planning the most worthwhile next steps. We can optimize our use of limited time and energy based on clearer priorities. Extra rest enables sharper decision making. Downtimes are when we do our best thinking about how to work smarter in future busy periods.
Coasting phases also help us identify non-essential tasks that don't deserve as much attention. When we're used to constant motion, it's easy to fill our days with busywork just for the sake of feeling productive. But stepping off the hamster wheel shows what activities are truly making an impact versus wasting effort.
Greater joy and purpose can come from pursuing our strongest interests with laser focus, instead of spreading ourselves thin chasing everything. Downshifting gives perspective for fine-tuning our efforts in a more impactful way going forward. Rather than seeing it as losing momentum, these phases set us up to gain even more in subsequent productive periods.
Space for Exploration
Taking an occasional step back creates room to explore new opportunities, skills, or side hustles that could end up being major investments. Without dedicated exploring time, it's easy to get stuck following the same routines without considering other possible paths.
Low-energy phases invite us to read more broadly, test potential new hobbies, think about career shifts, and learn foundational skills like coding that may prove useful down the line even if not a direct priority currently. All of these forms of exploration plant seeds that could blossom later on.
Rather than be in constant production mode, slowing our roll allows us to be more open-minded consumers of information with no immediate pressure to apply anything. This nurtures growth that may bear fruit in less expected ways over the long-term. The exploration enabled by downtime fills our toolkit with diverse resources and keeps our skills dynamic.
Preventing Burnout
Perhaps the biggest reason everyone needs to downshift periodically is to avoid the costs of burnout. Pushing ourselves to the max indefinitely sets us up for crashing mentally, physically, or emotionally. No one can sustain sky-high productivity levels non-stop without consequences like chronic stress, health issues, relationship strain, and more.
While burning the candle at both ends may get short-term gains, long-term optimal functioning depends on balancing effort with restoration. Burnout is demotivating and slashes productivity far more than occasional coasting. Making space for respite modes ensures we don't cross that critical line into an exhausted state that is self-defeating. Some downshifting, even if only occasionally, is vital for long-run success and harmony.
Permission to Slow Down
Given these realities, it's important that we give ourselves unconditional permission to slow our roll periodically. In phases when we feel mentally or creatively drained, it's advisable to lower our standards without self-criticism. Trust that we will reap benefits from the strategic use of leisure time which enables subsequent re-focusing at a high level.
Rather than see winding down as wasted time, view it as a necessary investment in our long-term well-being and performance. There is no rule saying we must be in high output continuously to be worthwhile or successful. Phases of lower energy have value even if it's not directly visible in immediate results. Accept that coasting is sometimes the expert play for optimizing our journey over months and years.
The Bottom Line
In a world that idealizes maximum efficiency, it's counter-cultural but wise to make room for times of deliberate under-performance. Not all seasons of our lives demand operating at full throttle. Some phases deserve a more leisurely pace that facilitates reflection, restoration, exploration and strategic realignment.
Rather than feeling guilty about times you want or need to coast, accept them as important for your long-term potential. Having unconditional permission to slow down periodically is crucial to prevent burnout and pave the way for subsequent high-impact achievements. While constant striving delivers short-term wins, downshifting is what fuels long-term optimal functioning and success.
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