Rest Is the New Power Move: How to Master Productivity & Prevent Burnout

0:01I want to know how easy or hard is it for you to take real rest? What stops you from resting when you need it most? Now did you know that rest is the new power move? Well hello everyone, Brave Bold Brilliant family, I'm Jeannette Linfoot, your host and I am so glad that you're here with me today. whether that's live actually or maybe you're listening back to this on the podcast or you might be watching it on YouTube so whichever way you're joining us welcome everyone quick question for you when was the last time you actually rested now I'm not talking about scrolling through your phone or zoning out in front of Netflix but I'm talking about deep intentional rest that genuinely lets your body and your mind fully recharge Now, if you're like most entrepreneurs or busy business leaders in the corporate world, I know that that answer for some of you may be, it's been too long.

1:07Or even, oh, I don't have time for that. I've definitely been guilty of that myself. But here's the thing that I have realised over the years. If you keep pushing yourself past the point of rest, you're not just risking burnout, which actually is a very real thing. And I have recently had a hospitalisation situation myself where I got very sick and I ended up being rushed into hospital, 10 days in hospital and ultimately had a blocked bile duct. Liver wasn't working properly and I had to have my gallbladder out. Now, it wasn't anything more serious than that, but nonetheless, stress is a real killer.

1:49And if you're not resting at all, you are risking that burnout. But even on top of that, you're actually sabotaging your own success. So in today's episode, what I want to do is I want to flip the script on the hustle culture and genuinely show you why rest, It's not a luxury or a sign of weakness either. You know, it really is the ultimate competitive advantage because the entrepreneur and business leader who masters rest will think clearer, lead stronger and build businesses that don't just survive, but actually thrive for the long haul. So, you know, before we get started, I'd love to hear from you.

2:35What's your biggest struggle when it comes to rest or downtime? time we really want to hear your real challenges so stick them in the comment if you're watching this on social media drop us a message you know on brave bold brilliant website check out the website actually if you're not already it's www.brave-bold-brilliant.com and on there join the brave bold brilliant community we're building a whole support network for people just like you and there's stacks of free resources in there as well in the learning hub so do that and of course if we're not connected on social media let's get connected you know you can join our pages brave bold brilliant on instagram facebook linkedin and of course if you want to connect with me personally well then you'll find me across social media and remember two n's and two t's in Jeanette Linfoot so let's get connected we're here to help and support each other so you know as I say why is this important?

3:32Well, you know what? At the end of the day, we only all have one life, right? And I hear it all the time. Well, I don't have time to rest. I'll rest when I'm dead and all this kind of stuff. And you almost kind of wear it like a badge of honor. And I have definitely been guilty of that. So, you know, full disclosure, hands up. But I've paid the price. I have paid the price, both physically, emotionally, but also in the businesses that I've led. Because when you're tired, when you're exhausted, you just, it's impossible to give your best. It genuinely is. So I'm saying this from a place of not criticising, because I fully understand.

4:10I have been there multiple times, let me tell you. But really, because I care. I care about this. And it's so important that we look after ourselves. You know, I always say, when you're leading a business, or you're in a role, or you're running a team, you know, there are always three aspects. Number one, leading yourself, number two leading your teams and number three leading the business. Those three are intrinsically interlinked so if you don't put your own oxygen mask on first as they will tell you when you go onto an airplane actually you can't be your best, you can't deliver your best. So I'm going to go through a number of different sections to this which I'm hoping is going to give you a little bit of inspiration, maybe a little bit of a wake-up call as well in terms of how you can tackle this yourself so the first point rest is not it's a strategy it's not a reward right we don't rest as a reward it's actually a conscious strategy in the same way as you would have a strategy for your business how you're going to get from a to b what are the strategic drivers of your growth etc you know it's the same really with your well-being so it's a mindset shift for you you know rest isn't something you earn after you've absolutely worked yourself into the ground you know it's not a reward for being busy or productive rest is a strategy and it should be a non-negotiable part of how you win and how you stay in the game if you think about elite athletes and I've actually just recently interviewed Diane Edwards name a doll you know an Olympic athlete middle distance runner who absolutely was at the top of her game you know So the people like that and I've interviewed many other elite athletes.

5:53So this mindset is around an athletic eliteness is they don't just train harder and longer than everyone else. They train smarter, you know, and that means they prioritize rest and recovery. They look at the data. Well, why? Well, that's because when their bodies rebuild stronger, faster, more resilient, that's going to make the difference to their performance. and as entrepreneurs and business leaders we often forget this is exactly how our brains and bodies work too so when you run on run your business on empty well your ability to focus absolutely deteriorates have you ever had a terrible night's sleep and you wake up and you just like you can't believe the alarm clock has gone off it feels like oh my gosh i've only just got to sleep and you're foggy you know ever had that feeling i know i have you know your creativity shrinks your capacity here's really an important one your capacity for making good decisions shrinks you know you feel more overwhelmed your emotional resilience it can plummet things that maybe wouldn't bother you before absolutely do you know and making stress and conflicts harder to manage so it's not just theory you know research shows that sleep deprivation alone impairs cognitive function in exactly the same way that you know if you've had a few drinks a few a few drinks wine or whatever, intoxication does.

7:16Yet so many of us are running around half asleep. Yeah, as I say, telling ourselves, I'll sleep when I'm successful or I'll sleep when I'm dead. Oh my God, please don't do that. Rest isn't the finish line. It's the fuel that you need. So that's the first thing that I wanted to kind of really talk about that strategy, that mindset, say it now, that mindset shift that, you know, is really going to make the difference to you. So the second point, it's all about your business people. You're used to running businesses. You're used to leading your teams. You're used to maybe as a sole opener or part of a team.

7:54You've got KPIs, key performance indicators, and you're used to thinking about what's the return on investment. Well, think about this then. If that's what actually flicks a switch in your mind, let's look at what's the return on investment of rest. why is it an essential ingredient of business now let's get a real return on investment here what happens when you really make rest part of your entrepreneurial and business practice well sharper thinking and better decisions when you're well rested your brain's prefrontal cortex that part that handles complex reasoning and planning works at full capacity that means you're more likely to spot opportunities avoid costly mistakes and handle crises more calmly instead of like reacting emotionally you know you're going to be more creative do you ever notice when your best ideas don't come when you're grinding it out at your desk might be when you're in the shower might be when you're walking or maybe you're out for a run or you're in the gym or you're literally just chilling out on the sofa staring out at the sea or whatever or up at the ceiling or just before you fall asleep you ever get that a light bulb oh and sometimes I must write it down or whatever so you know those ideas that creativity it comes when you've got the mental space for your subconscious to make connections and innovate right and when it comes to leadership if you are well rested it shows up with you being more patient more emotional intelligence around what's reading the room, what's going on, and that clarity.

9:32And that, of course, helps build better teams, stronger relationships, and ultimately are cultured at last. You know, have you ever had a boss that's, like, so wound up that they're like a coiled spring? You dread going into their office to say something. Oh, my gosh, I've had bosses like that. And honestly, I think a lot of it is down to the pressure of the job, but the fact that they're not well-rested, they're not putting their own oxygen mask on, And that comes out and they take it out on everyone around them. I've seen that so many times. And also, when you're well rested, as a return on investment, you actually get sustainable growth.

10:11You get sustainable growth. So burnout isn't just bad for your health. It's actually a business killer. Many startups and small businesses fail because the founders hit a wall. they just haven't got the energy and the emotional sort of you know strength if you like to carry on so rest is your best defense against that it really is about the return on investment so let's talk about the third point now and some let's bust those myths what are some of the myths about rest so before we get practical you know what are the some of the things that kind of we tell ourselves, you know, the stories we tell ourselves are often nonsense, actually, or we might have heard them from other people.

11:00So, you know, myth number one, here we go. If I rest, my competitors will get ahead. Well, the reality is taking time to rest, actually, it gives you the stamina and the clarity to outpace your competition in the long run, gives you those ideas, doesn't it? Resting means, myth number two, resting means I'm lazy or unmotivated. Oh, come on. You know, rest is an act of self-leadership. It's what separates sustainable entrepreneurs from burnout casualties. Myth number three, I don't have time for rest. Oh, my God, how often? I don't have time. I don't have time for rest. I don't have time to exercise.

11:39Well, let me tell you, you have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else. is that you're not prioritizing it so you know and the truth is lack of rest is often why you feel overwhelmed you know ironically resting strategically it can create more time and energy for you so these myths we've got to we've got to get them get them busted right number four let's get into this how to build rest into your business life because you might be saying okay well that's great Jeanette thanks ever so much for the sermon it's all right for you I get that a lot it's all right for you with all your businesses well hang on a minute no didn't just happen it's by being intentional and I have made stacks of mistakes as I say I ended up in hospital a few months ago so this is a very real situation I'm talking about I don't have all the answers but I can certainly share some of the things that have really affected me over the years so how do you build rest into your business life at the same time as delivering everything else you've got to do and your personal commitments etc so you know some of the tips that that I've done you know you don't want to feel like you're slowing down right necessarily but you want some proper actionable ways that you can do this that doesn't impact you know kind of what you're trying to achieve right so let's keep it real micro breaks every hour so you know even five to ten minutes away from your desk to stretch, breathe deeply, just close your eyes.

13:07It helps reset your focus. And this is a really good one because you don't need that long. But have you ever, I tell you what, when I was in corporate world and I was the MD of the Emerging Markets for TUI or I was the CEO of the Travel Division for Saga or when I was Product Director at First Choice, I had all these big jobs. And so often I skipped lunch. I just grabbed a sandwich at my desk the worst thing you can do the worst thing you can do you need to get out you need to move around you need that energy and that motion is going to really help you even just for five minutes and then you come back and you're more concentrated now what i want to also talk about is working in focus sprints this is a great tactic there is actually a method called the pomodoro technique and what what that is it's where you literally you can have pomodoro means small tomato in Italian you can actually get an app on your phone for this but you can just do it by sending yourself an alarm and it's where you work intensely for focused sprints of time right so that might be for example it could be that you're going to work for 25 minutes and take a five minute break and then you come and you're really disciplined with this the alarm goes off you take your five minute break you come back another 25 minutes five minute break but you're really focused you remove your distractions no alerts on your phone all this business so uh you could also apply that to you know work say taking working for 90 minutes with full focus and then you take a full break and it's not just about you know switching tabs but just standing up moving around stepping outside the third way you can get a rest is to set digital detox times especially an hour before bed you know our brains need a break from the screens that blue light it wakes us up right so and you also you know what i do as well in my diary is that i schedule creative retreats i block time in my diary for a full day every month to step away from the daily operations just to reflect to dream plan without distractions it makes such a massive difference and then the other thing is around honoring seasonal slowdowns you know you might have had a big product launch or a big project Don't rush straight into the next thing.

15:21Use that time to reset and recharge. Celebrate those successes with your team as well. You know, and really guard your sleep fiercely. Sleep isn't optional. It's the foundation of your mental and your physical health. So when you're getting ready for bed, make sure you've got a good bedtime routine as well. So you can be in a relaxed state, not looking at your phone just before you go to bed, things like that. So some real life success stories. Let's take a look, you know, because these are really about business people. and leaders who have transformed their businesses by prioritizing rest. Now, Arianna Huffington, she famously clapped from exhaustion, but then she went on to build Thrive Global to help entrepreneurs reclaim their health and energy through rest.

16:05So she actually took that absolute disaster for her personally and put it into a business idea that did good in the world, as well as commercially being beneficial for her, right? Jeff Weiner, former LinkedIn CEO, he scheduled daily thinking time and he was sacred about that uninterrupted slot for rest and reflection that really helped him lead with clarity you know and a lot of founders these days if you're a founder or you're a business leader it takes sabbaticals sometimes it could be going away for a month now if you're in the corporate world you might not be able to do that i appreciate that um but if you can take a break and just really get some fresh perspective a new vision and come back with that renewed passion, it's going to really serve you well.

16:46So I've taken you through a lot, but now it's your turn. So, you know, I want to know how easy or hard is it for you to take real rest? Right. What stops you from resting when you need it most? What kind of rest helps you feel truly recharged? So, you know, drop your answers in the chat if you're watching this live on social media or drop us a message on Brave Bold Brilliant. Or if you're watching this on YouTube, put a comment in, let us know. Because that way we can help each other. It's by sharing our experiences. So thanks ever so much for spending this time with me today. And if you found the episode helpful, please do these three things.

17:29Like this video, because it helps other business leaders find the message. Subscribe to Brave Bold Brilliant so you never miss a conversation about growing your business and yourself. So that is on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you listen to your podcast. And share this episode with someone, could be a personal friend, it could be a fellow entrepreneur, it could be a colleague, if you're in the corporate world that you care about, who might be running on empty. Okay? Remember that the most successful business leaders, they don't sprint themselves into burnout. They pace themselves for the marathon.

18:11And remember, it is by being brave, it is by being bold that you're going to get your brilliant. So you only have one life, make it count, take care of you, and then you can take care of others. Have an amazing day. I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant. Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow. So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliance.