Rest ≠ Reward: How to do more, in less time, with less stress.

We live in a world that glorifies hustle. The phrase "I'll rest when I'm dead" isn't just a joke to some people—it’s a mantra. A badge of honor they proudly wear because they've attached their sense of self to the work they produce.

But here’s the truth: rest is not an "indulgence" and it certainly isn't the enemy of productivity.

Rest is an active process — a partner to your work that actually enhances your effectiveness.

And, whether you are a knowledge worker, an entrepreneur, a leader, or creative — you are a cognitive athlete.

Which means you should train like one.

An athlete will train hard, then rest.

They plan, sprint, and then rest again.

So this idea that you're going to get linear and sustainable output by simply cranking away every day for endless hours is ridiculous.

The irony of hustle culture is that it often leads to the very thing it claims to avoid—mediocrity.

Overworking doesn’t just slow you down; it can sabotage your progress entirely.

It’s time we break free from this unscientific and outdated belief.

The message of this article is simple: Rest is NOT the reward.

It’s not something you “earn” after a hard day of work. Rest is the tool that makes great work possible.

By the end of this newsletter, you’ll understand why deliberate rest is the most misunderstood and underrated tool to do great things. Through insights from Neuroscience & Psychology, you’ll learn how to do more, in less time, with less stress.

The Science of Rest

The first thing you must understand about your brain when it comes to producing great work — is that it's never "off".

There is a network of regions in your brain that make up the Default Mode Network (DMN). This network is active when you are NOT focused on a specific task — like during daydreaming, quiet reflection or mind wandering.

And research has found that the DMN plays a vital role in creativity, problem-solving, and the consolidation of memories.

Which means, your DMN is activating old memories, going back and forth between the past, present, and future, and recombining different ideas.

It then uses this subconscious data, which would've been inaccessible to you otherwise, and enables you to imagine more creative solutions and think about the problems you are facing in a new way.

So, this recent discovery explains a phenomenon which we've all experienced:

Great ideas happen in the shower.
Great ideas happen in the toilet.
Great ideas happen in nature.
Great ideas happen at the gym.
Great ideas happen in unrelated conversations.
Great ideas happen anywhere other than sitting at our desks.

This is why some of the greatest cognitive athletes in history — Nobel Prize winners, scientists, political leaders, entrepreneurs, writers — put so much emphasis on rest.

Think about Winston Churchill during World War II.

With bombs falling on London and the weight of a nation on his shoulders, he had a non-negotiable daily ritual: naps.

Picture that for a moment...

While the world was quite literally on fire, Churchill would go to a dedicated space in the War Rooms after lunch, undress, and sleep for an hour or two.

Why?

Because he knew his mind was his greatest asset, and without rest, even the sharpest leader could lose their edge.

Steve Jobs also credited many of his groundbreaking ideas at Apple to his habit of taking long walks.

Darwin, Einstein, Edison, Dalí, Picasso, Dickens, Tesla, Gates, and many others all followed a similar pattern:

They organized their lives around their work; but, they did not spend their whole day working.

Why More Hours ≠ More Results

You have to understand that cognitive energy is finite.

After doing 4-5 hours of intense cognitive work, the brain fatigues, and your productivity falls off a cliff.

Overworking the 'focus systems' in your brain will drain your energy, make you lose self-control, make you more impulsive and less helpful.

As a result, your decisions are poorly thought-out, and you become less effective.

So what I hope you are realizing is that the brain operates optimally when it toggles between focus and unfocus.

Now, I know exactly what you are thinking...

"I can't afford to work only 4-5 hours a day."

"Someone has to steer the ship!"

I hear you.

Sometimes, the demands of your mission will require you to work longer than is optimal.

And guess what? That's okay.

You aren't going to die if you work 12 hrs a day.

But, by understanding these basic functions of your brain, you can organize your days in a way that maximizes your output by simply prioritizing rest and doing the most cognitively-demanding tasks — first.

Create first. Build first. Think first.

You can manage, organize, and maintain later.

How to Rest like a Cognitive Athlete

Now, let's get down to the fun stuff: action.

What can you actually do to prioritize rest and start recovering like a cognitive athlete?

Naps & Yoga Nidra

Naps are a superpower. Even just 5-15 mins of shut-eye has been proven to increase mental clarity & alertness.

But, a longer nap of 90-minutes will refresh your brain unlike anything else.

Long naps have been proven to improve cognitive function for several hours after waking — enhancing alertness, creativity, and learning.

No amount of coffee in the world could ever substitute the power of a nap.

Think about it this way: say you have a 5 hour window in the afternoon for work.

You could either:
a) Push through the 5 hours at 40-50% of your cognitive abilities because you've already built up fatigue from the busy morning or...

b) You take a 90-minute nap and then work in deep flow for 3.5 hours.

Who gets more done? Who gets better work done? Who feels better?

But, if naps aren't your thing, or you are the kind of person who struggles napping when your mind is highly active, I recommend you try Yoga Nidra.

This is an ancient practice which simply means "sleep yoga" — they are guided meditations you can find for free on Youtube, which take you through some breathing exercises and relaxation techniques in order to fall into a restorative state of consciousness.

Here's a video I love and use every single week:

Walking

Hippocrates, a Greek philosopher and physician —known as the father of Western medicine — defined walking as "Man's best medicine".

Steve Jobs, Einstein, Nietzsche, Tesla, Darwin, Freud, and many others all shared the habit of taking long walks as a catalyst for their thinking.

And recently, neuroscience has explained why:

• Walking stimulates the creation of new brain cells
• Improves the connectivity of different regions of your brain
• Improves blood flow to the hippocampus, which enhances memory and learning capabilities.
• Triggers a release of endorphins, which improves your mood.
• It reduces stress and anxiety.

Making walks a sort of "health shot" for creativity and cognitive function.

A recent study by Stanford University, found that walking increased creative output by 60%!

Key notes to make this work:

• Go Device-Free: Leave your phone behind or put it in airplane mode. No music, no podcasts, no audiobooks. This is your time to unplug and let your mind wander.
• Start Small: A 10-minute walk can do wonders. If you can, aim for 30 minutes to an hour daily.
• Walking Meetings: If you have calls or casual meetings, try taking them on the go. This was one of Steve Jobs’ favorite productivity hacks.
• Pair with Nature: If possible, walk in a park or green space. Studies show nature enhances the restorative effects of walking, reducing stress and boosting mood even further.

Deep Play

Play is a fundamental part of being human. It is also one of the most misunderstood, yet transformative, practices for high performance.

Think about it: as children, we instinctively play. We build, climb, explore, create—completely immersed in the joy of the activity itself. Play wasn’t just a pastime; it was how we learned, connected, and evolved.

Coined by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang in his book Rest, deep play is about engaging in activities that challenge and immerse you, creating a state of effortless focus and joy.

Unlike passive leisure (e.g., scrolling social media or binge-watching Netflix), deep play is restorative because it demands your attention and taps into a different part of your brain, giving your cognitive systems a much-needed reset.

Deep play is any activity that:

• Fully engages your body and mind.
• Feels meaningful or enjoyable.
• Differs from your usual work but still challenges you.

Examples include:

• Playing a musical instrument, drawing, cooking, or other creative hobbies.
• Rock climbing, skiing or any skillful physical activity.
• Competitive sports or strategic games.

When you engage in deep play, you enter a state of flow—a mental state where time seems to disappear and you’re fully present in the moment. This gives your Default Mode Network (DMN) time to process and consolidate information in the background, often leading to breakthroughs or fresh perspectives on your work.

Deep play should be intrinsically rewarding — you do it because you love doing it, not for a specific outcome.

How to Incorporate Deep Play

1. Find Your Activity: Choose something you genuinely enjoy but rarely prioritize. It could be something from your past you’ve lost touch with, like playing guitar, sketching, sports. Or, it could be a different application for a skill you use regularly – i.e. You're a non-fiction writer and you play by writing songs or poetry. You're a coder and you play by building passion projects or games that are unrelated to your work.
2. Schedule It: Treat deep play as a non-negotiable part of your routine, just like work. Even 30 minutes a few times a week can make a difference.
3. Stay Fully Present: The key is immersion. Turn off notifications and approach your activity with curiosity and focus.
4. Reflect on Your Experience: Afterward, notice how it made you feel. Did you lose track of time? Did you feel recharged? The better you understand what recharges you, the easier it becomes to prioritize.

Incorporating deep play & deliberate rest into your life isn’t just about relaxation or "clocking off"—it’s about creating the mental and emotional bandwidth to do your best work.

By giving yourself permission to rest and engage in meaningful, challenging activities outside of work, you’re investing in your long-term success.

Do yourself a favor and play! Rest deeply.

And share this with friends who might benefit from this message.