Rest, essential for professional success

Rest is absolutely necessary for our development and is one of the fundamental ingredients for maintaining good health and enjoying quality of life.

Carmen Gómez works in the IT department of a company and is a passionate leader of her team. Bringing her ideas to life often takes her to long work days in the office, which she often extends to her home.

“I feel the desire to finish projects,” confesses the young mother, whose husband and two children demand time for the family.

Rest is essential for success at work, it is a key factor, says Mónica Messa, an expert in occupational psychology and director of the Psychology program at Franz Tamayo University, Unifranz.

Taking a break at work is a necessity, working continuously increases stress, fatigue, reduces the ability to concentrate and increases the risk of making mistakes.

Prioritizing people’s well-being in companies has gone from being a simple recommendation to an essential component of working life.

A study by Sodexo, a global corporation in quality of life services, reveals that for every 10 hours of vacation a person takes, their performance improves by 8%. In addition, talent retention increases, as it increases motivation, and helps to recover enthusiasm and creativity, so that after vacation employees return with more energy and new ideas.

“That is why it is important for people to have a balance between their work life and their personal or family life, so that we can balance this so that we avoid any psychological factor that affects performance or future work development,” says Messa.

Rest means “to stop” in order to meet the need to restore the body and mind. John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr., an American writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, said more than 60 years ago that “the art of rest is a part of the art of work.”

“It is also about being able to trust that your body will regulate itself and recover the energy needed to be able to face what the day brings later. In the same way, it is about letting go of control and abandoning yourself to the natural tendency to recover energy,” say psychologists and Gestalt therapists in Madrid, Spain, from Concienciarte.

Rest does not only mean stopping physical activity, but also disconnecting mentally and emotionally. This balance between work and personal life is crucial to avoid psychological exhaustion that can affect performance at work.

Mesa says recent studies highlight the importance of soft skills, such as communication and the ability to function in different contexts, which are intrinsically linked to emotional and mental well-being.

“These skills, which are more personal and separate from the technical ones, are fundamental and are based on emotional stability, on mental strengthening that will allow us to be good workers, give our best and optimize time,” explains the academic.

In this new perspective, it is not that employees must work long hours or that the best person is the one who stays in the office the longest, but rather the person who is most efficient at using and managing their time well.

The modern approach in organizations is not focused on the number of hours worked, but on efficiency and time management. A rested worker is better able to concentrate, manage stress and be productive. In contrast, a lack of rest leads to fatigue, lack of concentration and a decrease in performance, the professional clarifies.

According to Messa, rest should be comprehensive and should encompass body, mind and emotions. Alternatives such as yoga, sport and relaxation techniques are increasingly valued as tools to recharge energy and maintain a clear mind.

Likewise, adopting healthy sleeping habits, such as sleeping at least eight hours and avoiding the use of screens before bed, helps preserve mental health and emotional balance.

This shift in perspective is reflected in company policies that now prioritize the balance between their employees’ work and personal life. Workspaces that respect working hours, offer flexibility and encourage personal activities outside the work environment not only improve the well-being of employees, but also increase their commitment and loyalty to the company.

For Messa, for example, organizations considered Great Place to Work focus on seeking this balance between personal life and work life.

“It is important that people can leave work, have other activities, clear their minds, focus on their children. Companies now offer flexible schedules, for example, when a father or mother wants to go see their child’s activity and then be able to make up for their activities. This is gratifying because it strengthens the employee emotionally and generates commitment to work,” he points out.

The pandemic has accelerated this re-evaluation of priorities, with mental health and general well-being taking on unprecedented importance. New generations, in particular, value independence and work flexibility, which has led organizations to adapt to these new trends and offer more humane and healthy work environments.

Rest is not a luxury, but a necessity to ensure optimal work performance and a balanced personal life. Companies that understand and encourage it not only retain talent, but also create more sustainable and productive work environments.