Productivity
by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Why do we treat rest as a reward?
Most of us see rest as whatever is left once the work is done, or as a sign of slacking. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang argues the opposite. Studying scientists and writers who did great work, he found they took rest as seriously as work, and planned it as carefully.
Hear a sample · read by Laura
Pang noticed that many famously productive thinkers did only about four hours of hard, focused work a day, often in the morning. The rest of the day went on walks, naps, letters and hobbies. Beyond a point, extra hours at the desk added more tiredness than results.
Ernest Hemingway ended each day's writing at a point where he knew what would happen next. Pang explains why it works. Your mind keeps turning the unfinished scene over while you're away, and the next morning you have an easy place to start.
Pang leans on the psychologist Sabine Sonnentag, whose research found that recovery comes from relaxation, control over your own time, challenges outside work and detachment from the job. Answering work email from the sofa fails the last test. Your body is resting while your head is still at work.
Deep play is Pang's name for a hobby that absorbs you as good work does, but in another world. Winston Churchill took up painting in 1915, after the Gallipoli disaster cost him his job at the Admiralty. He painted for the rest of his life, as a serious amateur.
Deliberate rest
Rest is a skill you practise, and done well it makes your work better.
Darwin's day
Darwin did his best work in a few focused hours each day, with walks in between.
Stop mid-stream
End the day's work at a point where you know what comes next.
Walking
Long walks give your mind room to solve problems you've put down.
Naps
A short nap after lunch can refresh your mind for the rest of the day.
A story from the book
At Down House, Charles Darwin did his serious work in a few short, focused sessions. Between them he answered letters, rested on the sofa and walked a gravel loop he called his thinking path, the Sandwalk. That unhurried routine produced On the Origin of Species.
Hot take · true or myth?
Stopping mid-flow makes it harder to get going again the next day.
Myth. Hemingway stopped each day when he knew what would happen next. Pang argues that leaving the next step clear gets you started faster in the morning.
One thing to try
This afternoon, stop your main task while you still know what comes next, and write that next step on a sticky note. Then go for a walk without your phone. Tomorrow, start from the note and see how quickly you get going.
Knotd has the key ideas from 250+ non-fiction books, each in a few minutes, in plain words. Rest comes with a Hot Take round to make it stick.
Get the whole book on KnotdOpen in the appWhy do we treat rest as a reward? Most of us see rest as whatever is left once the work is done, or as a sign of slacking. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang argues the opposite. Studying scientists and writers who did great work, he found they took rest as seriously as work, and planned it as carefully.
About four good hours; Stop while you know what's next; Switch off properly; Deep play.
This afternoon, stop your main task while you still know what comes next, and write that next step on a sticky note. Then go for a walk without your phone. Tomorrow, start from the note and see how quickly you get going.
Yes. Knotd has the key ideas from Rest in a few minutes, in plain words, plus a Hot Take round to test them. It's one of 250+ non-fiction books in the app.
