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Rest as a Career Strategy

Episode 266 - The Career-Building Power of Rest in a Burnout Economy

In the relentless grind of today’s professional world, “hustle culture” reigns supreme. For corporate professionals, especially those navigating job searches or career transitions, this often means working tirelessly to stay relevant and competitive. Yet, despite all the energy poured into applications, networking, and interview preparation, the results often fall short.

The problem? We’ve misunderstood the value of rest.

As a career coach working with corporate professionals for years, I’ve seen a troubling trend. High-achieving individuals—many of them seasoned executives—are burning themselves out during what should be a time of reinvention and opportunity. Rest, the cornerstone of resilience and creativity, has become the most overlooked aspect of their strategy.

And the consequences are stark: poorer decisions, missed opportunities, and, perhaps most damaging of all, the erosion of their confidence.

In a labor market as competitive as today’s, where layoffs remain frequent and economic uncertainty looms, it’s time we reconsider how we approach rest—not as a retreat from ambition, but as its fuel.

Burnout in the Age of “Always-On”

The culture of perpetual busyness has seeped into every facet of our professional lives. For job seekers, this manifests as a belief that every waking moment must be spent on the search. Applications, LinkedIn posts, and networking calls consume their schedules, leaving little room for reflection or recovery.

This relentless pace isn’t just unsustainable—it’s counterproductive. Rest-deprived individuals bring stress into their interviews, fumble networking opportunities, and fail to assess roles with the clarity needed for long-term career satisfaction.

Meanwhile, in the broader workforce, professionals are seeing diminishing returns on overworking. A recent report from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index highlights the cost of digital exhaustion, with 48% of employees citing burnout as a primary reason for considering a job change.

If burnout is a systemic issue, rest is the antidote. 

Rest as a Career Strategy

For my clients, rest is not just a wellness tool—it’s a competitive advantage. It allows them to make better decisions, communicate with confidence, and approach challenges with a fresh perspective.

Here’s how:

1. Mental Rest for Clear Thinking

The stress of a job search activates the brain’s fight-or-flight response, making it hard to focus on anything but survival. Mental rest, through practices like mindfulness and journaling, can calm this response. One client shared how a five-minute breathwork routine before interviews helped him go from nervous wreck to composed professional.

2. Physical Rest to Perform Your Best

Sleep, often sacrificed in the name of productivity, is critical for cognitive function. Professionals who are sleep-deprived can’t operate at full capacity. Setting a consistent sleep schedule—aiming for seven to nine hours a night—can sharpen your ability to think, solve problems, and handle high-pressure situations.

3. Emotional Rest to Recharge Your Resilience

Career transitions often bring a mix of hope and fear. Spending time with supportive friends, mentors, or loved ones can replenish emotional reserves. Beyond human connection, engaging in hobbies—whether it’s hiking, cooking, or painting—can provide joy and perspective during tough times.

4. Digital Detox for Better Focus

Today’s professionals spend an average of 6.5 hours daily on screens. For job seekers, this number often skyrockets as they browse job boards and respond to emails. Digital detoxes—whether an afternoon offline or a weekend break—can refresh your focus and prevent burnout.

Why Rest Matters More Than Ever

Rest isn’t just an individual concern; it’s a societal one. The corporate world is finally beginning to take notice. Companies like Microsoft are experimenting with four-day workweeks, while others are rolling out wellness programs to combat burnout.

But professionals can’t rely solely on organizational initiatives to address their need for rest. For those in transition—whether between jobs or into a new phase of their careers—it’s a deeply personal responsibility to integrate rest into their strategy.

After all, job searches aren’t just about landing any role—they’re about finding the right role. That clarity and intentionality only come when you’ve given yourself the space to reflect.

A Call to Action for Job Seekers

Here’s the hard truth: Overworking doesn’t lead to better outcomes; it leads to burnout. If you’re in the midst of a job search or career transition, consider how rest fits into your strategy.

Start with small changes:

  • Dedicate two 90-minute blocks each day to focused job-search activities.
  • Take five minutes before interviews to practice breathwork or mindfulness.
  • Commit to screen-free time each evening or weekend.

Rest is more than just a break—it’s your foundation for success.

In an era where professional demands often exceed human limits, rest isn’t a retreat from the hustle. It’s the most powerful tool you have to thrive.

Take it. Use it. Watch it transform your career.

Renata Bernarde

About the Host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, I’m Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I’m also an executive coach, job hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach professionals (corporate, non-profit, and public) the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress.

 

If you are an ambitious professional who is keen to develop a robust career plan, if you are looking to find your next job or promotion, or if you want to keep a finger on the pulse of the job market so that when you are ready, and an opportunity arises, you can hit the ground running, then this podcast is for you.

 

In addition to The Job Hunting Podcast, on my website, I have developed a range of courses and services for professionals in career or job transition. And, of course, I also coach private clients

Timestamps to Guide Your Listening

  • 00:31 The Importance of Rest During Job Search

  • 01:20 Why Rest is Critical for Productivity

  • 03:31 Creating Space for Rest

  • 06:16 Mental Rest and Mindfulness Practices

  • 09:14 The Power of Journaling and Gratitude

  • 14:19 Physical Rest and Sleep Strategies

  • 19:09 Exercise and Active Rest

  • 23:38 Emotional and Spiritual Rest

  • 27:13 Digital Detox and Nature Connection

  • 31:59 Creating a Restful Environment

  • 36:03 Creative Rest and New Hobbies

  • 37:35 Nourishing Your Body for Rest

  • 38:51 Making Rest a Sustainable Practice

  • 40:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Okay, let’s start by talking about why rest is so critical, especially during career transitions. or your job search process. Rest is more than just physical recovery. It’s about recharging your mind, rewiring your brain, rewiring your emotions and spirit so that you can come back to your goals feeling refreshed and ready.

In fact, It’s important for you to take that break so that you can actually create your goals and have that creative mindset. If you’re burnt out, it’s very hard to be creative. So taking breaks can feel like you’re slowing down or losing momentum if you’re job searching or if you just lost your job.

But rest is actually a key productivity tool for you. Think of rest as a way to improve your mental clarity and reset your brain so that it can operate better. It helps you make better decisions. It boosts your resiliency. When you are searching for a job, it can be very tempting to spend every waking moment looking for opportunities, applying for jobs, and filling out your time with job applications and networking opportunities.

However, I don’t think that that’s the right approach. You constantly being on the on button, like, like there is, you know, no tomorrow, and you’re, you know, scared for what may happen to you can lead to burnout. We need to come out of the fight and flight so that we can be more productive and we can show the world It is counterproductive for you to go into networking events or apply for jobs if you are exhausted, tired or scared about your future career prospects.

It’s counterproductive. If you take a rest, you might be able to reflect and gain more perspective. It’s counterproductive. But how do you create space for rest when you’ve always been told to keep busy? That’s how we introduce ourselves to each other. How are you? Oh, busy. You know, it’s like what we do and what we say and how we think it’s Um, we’re supposed to be as corporate professionals, but one of the best things that you can do is to create space for rest, right?

This is the right time of the year for me to be doing this episode because it’s going out in December, so there is an opportunity there with the calendar year. And the holiday festivities to come up for you to take a break from your job search, from your worries and your concerns, really enjoy this time.

Or if you’re not a festivity, holiday, Christmassy kind of person, that’s okay to just take this time that everybody else is holiday to invest in yourself and in your own rest, creating those boundaries around you, boundaries around. Work and job search activities as well. Imagine scheduling your job search tasks in blocks, two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and that’s it for the day.

I actually, in fact, prefer 90 minutes, 90 minutes in the morning, 90 minutes in the afternoon, and then maybe 20 minutes. the beginning and the end just so that you can do a bit of admin task and write your notes so that you know what you’re going to do, uh, in the afternoon or the next day. Okay? So when the time is up, it’s up.

Get up and do something else. So compartmentalizing your life is really important. This helps you create a distinct time for work and for rest so you don’t feel guilty stepping away. You’ve done your work. You’ve done your 90 minutes. Now you can enjoy yourself or you can enjoy the company of others.

Think of your time off not as a break from the productivity, but as a An important part of your productivity strategy. It’s that time that you recharge so that you’re productive again at your next 90 minute flow. This small shifting mindset can make a whole lot of difference. Resting isn’t about avoiding work.

You see, it’s about preparing to come back stronger every time. So if you remind yourself that everyone needs rest and taking time off will actually make you more effective, this is really important, right? You won’t feel guilty. You won’t feel compelled to keep on going. It’s important to take that break.

It’s your productivity strategy. Then there is mental rest and reflection. Let’s talk about mental rest. When we think of rest, we often think of taking a nap or sitting back on the couch or watching television or TikTok. You know, that is not really rest. You have to rest your mind. It’s equally important.

One way to do this is through mindfulness practices. You may think, Renata, but you mentioned the nap. Won’t that recharge me? Not really. Sometimes we just sit there and we don’t fully engage with the sleep or the nap. We just keep ourselves busy in our minds. Um, I see this a lot in my practice as a coach, you know, just this morning, uh, conversation with a client and she said she cannot switch off.

So if you are experiencing that, Even when you’re trying to fall asleep and your mind is still going a million hundred places or you try to take a nap or you, you try to rest and you sit to relax and you end up on TikTok, um, that is not going to, uh, suffice. You need to engage in mindfulness practices.

And I know that that can sound intimidating or that can sound woo woo and maybe even it’s overhyped in the media. But, it can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths. I can’t forget this time when one of my clients found out about breathwork and sent me a video from YouTube about breathwork and how much it had helped him go through interviews just before going into an interview he would put that YouTube video on to help him breathe.

And I was so proud of him, you know, and I, I think that just engaging in those sort of simple techniques, but so, so effective is really important. So try this, try sitting still for five minutes and focus on your breath and let go of any stress and worries. Just that in itself will help you. Um, there are lots of breathwork videos on YouTube.

There are apps, you know, I like Headspace. There are many other apps that you can use to learn how to do, uh, breathing exercises to help your brain and your, your body and your mind. So I would encourage you to Google them, find out about them. For job seekers, if you do a few minutes of mindfulness every day, it can really help you reduce your anxiety and help you become more clear about your goals and what you’re trying to achieve and not lose perspective and not, not let the instinct of anxiety and fight and flight take over.

What you’re currently going through. Okay, so that’s one tool, breathwork. Another powerful tool for mental rest is journaling. Again this morning, I asked my client to consider journaling and Journaling is not writing your resume. It’s not writing your business ideas. Journaling is Allowing yourself time to go through your thoughts and emotions help you gain insight.

If you leave your emotions and your thoughts just inside your head, your brain is going to really struggle to keep up. Okay? Your brain is not supposed to archive those thoughts. Those informations, you need to download them onto paper. So, journaling can be very helpful if you’re feeling lost, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, if there are too many thoughts and ideas floating through your mind.

Okay, you can put some of those business ideas onto paper. But, practice also engaging with your thoughts. pain points, um, physical and mental, you know, things that are keeping you awake at night, put them onto paper and you might find that your brain will thank you. It’s an opportunity to check in with yourself and ask, how am I feeling?

What do I really want? Has anything changed today from yesterday? How am I feeling today? And finally, practicing gratitude. I mean, we have lots of research that show all of these things that I’m telling you are really effective. But gosh, there’s so many great examples of how gratitude journaling can help.

So it’s a simple, it’s effective, it’s pretty much free. All you need is pen and paper. And it really is a great way to provide you with this mental rest practice. And you, the idea here is not to do these things only once. You know, the breath work, the journaling, the, the gratitude journaling. It’s to include them in your daily life.

Routine in your weekly routine, even if you don’t do gratitude, um, journaling every day. I think research shows, correct me if I’m wrong, that if you do that three times a week, that is enough, okay? But you have to create a routine. Try writing down three things that you’re grateful for each day. You can do that at the beginning of the day and then check in again at the end of the day or just once a day.

I like to do, you know, that sort of bookend. I like that, but it’s really up to you. It could be something as small as The morning coffee or biggest supportive, uh, supporting a friend. Um, this morning, for example, I woke up and I was just so grateful to see snow outside. If you’re watching this on YouTube, you can see I have no paintings behind me.

I’m not at my usual office. I am in fact in England at my son’s house. and it’s winter here as opposed to Australia where you know in December it’s summer and it’s so hot but here it’s very cold and it’s snowing it’s absolutely gorgeous outside and I was just grateful to see the snow you know grateful to be here uh with my my daughter in law and my my son it’s just being grateful for the little things that you have or big things you know whatever you decide that is really making you happy when you wake up in the morning, identifying those things, writing them down, not just thinking about them.

If you can write it down, it’s even more effective. So gratitude will help you shift your perspective for sure. And over time, it fosters in you a more positive mindset. If you have a mindset of being quite negative, And I know a lot of people do. I have been blessed with optimism, but that can sometimes backfire.

I’m a highly optimistic person. That’s not always a good thing, everyone, so don’t be jealous of me. Sometimes it backfires, but I know, you know, in my family, in my clientele, that there are people that tend to have a more pessimistic mindset or Or, you know, you’re sort of somewhat in the middle. If you want, you can even go to the University of Pennsylvania’s website.

Um, it’s called Authentic Happiness. The, um, the, the, the website that belongs to the Department of Psychology there. And you can do, uh, a free, uh, assessment to see if you’re a pessimist or an optimist, if you have never learned about these things, but you’re curious to see your dial, you know, the dial that you’re born with.

And then of course there are environmental issues that can really manipulate that dial of optimism and pessimism. Um, learned optimism is a great, book by Martin Seligman. So go read it. You won’t regret it. It’s a lovely book to read. Um, all right, now let’s move to physical rest and how to engage with that.

That, if you’ve been following this, this podcast, and you know a little bit about me, if you, if you sign up for my newsletter that I sent by email, you know that I struggle with physical rest. I don’t know. Sometimes I think that this could be genetic because in my family, there are some, Well known insomniacs, my father, his sister, my grandmother, um, they were all insomniacs and I feel that there is a little bit of, um, genetics in there, um, but I need to tell you that You can shift this and physical rest is really, really important.

And for me specifically, um, because I have some health conditions that doesn’t allow me to take some medications, like I cannot take anti inflammatory medications, for example, the doctors treat me as if I was an athlete, right? You know how athletes cannot take medication because of anti doping regulations.

That’s me. Athletes can only recover from injury through rest, through a good night’s sleep and And physio and that’s me, you know, I do physio and I try to sleep as much as I can. My goal for 2025 will be to increase even more my sleep. Um, so I now I’m in between 7 and 8 hours on average per week, close to 7 to be honest.

Um, that is much better than I was in previous years. It’s definitely way better than, than I was during my corporate career. And my goal for 2025 will be to sleep nine hours a day. And I’m pretty, pretty keen. I want to sleep nine hours a day and I want to have a nap, um, after lunch, which is something my parents do.

And I know it’s good for, for everybody. And I want you to consider doing that as well on those days that you’re working from home. If you’re a hybrid worker or if you’re a remote worker. Just doing that 20 minute nap is just so, uh, refreshing and you have such a more productive afternoon if you do that, if you do that well.

If you sleep too much in the afternoon, it won’t help, but if you sleep just a little bit like my mom and dad do, it really is quite refreshing and I spent some time with them in Brazil and I did that and I found it really, really good for my productivity. So sleep is the foundation of physical rest, and without it, your body and your mind won’t function their best.

And I know that we all say that we’re going to do better, but we all keep scrolling on our TikToks and Instagrams and watching our Netflix. And we don’t sleep as much as we should. So that quality sleep is essential. And if you’re like me, someone who struggles with this, try setting a consistent sleeping schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

Now, because I’m currently traveling and I coach, I see clients early in the morning and late at night. So for example, I’m here in England at the moment. I saw my first client at 7 a. m. so I had to wake up at 6 and I will see my last client at 11 p. m. So what I did today was I took a nap and it was a longer nap than what my parents did, but I wanted to have in total at least, you know, eight hours sleep.

Um, Because when I finish my last client, there is no way I can go to bed right away. And you may feel that as well with your work. If you’re working late, you need, I need, personally, at least an hour of doing something else. I might need to watch movies. An episode of my favorite TV show at the moment, or I may need to, you know, um, talk to my parents in Brazil.

I try not to do a lot of talking, but I could also read my book, something that will be relaxing, so I don’t sleep thinking about work. And my work is actually quite, um, it’s difficult for me to switch off because I speak to people every day, all day, that are really anxious about their careers, that are looking for work, that are going through quite a lot.

So after a full day of coaching, it takes a toll on me, on my emotions and my mental health as well. So I really need to put some boundaries around it. And you may feel that it’s the same with the work that you do. Exercise is another great way to recharge physically and I need to improve that as well.

So this is, this, Part of the the podcast. I’m actually talking to you, but I’m also talking to myself It doesn’t have to be anything super intense and this is something that I have learned the hard way as well every time I try to You know start physical activity. I overdo it and I end up not not doing so well So I want to go back to regular walking.

I, the problem with the snow is that I did not walk today because it’s quite slippery outside. And even though I brought the right boots, I still didn’t feel comfortable walking in the snow. So I’m waiting for a couple of days before, uh, walking. and then gentle exercises like yoga. I swam a lot when I was in Brazil.

My parents have a swimming pool and I was able to swim and do aqua aerobics every day. Um, this is excellent to keep your body active without overstressing it. And I think that this is important, especially if you’re job seeking that you do the exercise. And I know people say, you know, at a certain age, you need to lift weight and all of that.

I get it. Okay. But for job search and for, um, for the, the people that are looking for work, the cardio is really important because your fight and flight will benefit from you sweating it out. Okay? So if you are stressed about work, if you’re stressed about your situation, being unemployed, then cardio I think is really great.

Walk fast, walk every day, do something that Sweat you a little bit because that’s what your body is asking you to do. It’s, it’s trying to get you into fight and flight because it’s anxious and worried about your situation. So if you can sweat it out, I think it’s great for your body. So, moving your body not only will improve your mood, and this will benefit you when you’re talking to people and having job interviews, you may not think that people will pick up on your bad mood or your anxious mood, but they will, especially if that’s what they do every day.

So recruiters are really good at picking up on vibes, right? That’s all they do, everybody, so you need to know that they are very good at reading you. reading your body language. So you want to listen to this episode because this is strategic for your job search and your successful outcome. Um, it can also be, you know, um, a form of active rest.

So if you are moving your body, you are actively working to rest that fight and flight mode that you got yourself into. Um, It’s not your fault. It’s just how we’re, we’re wired. We’re wired to get worried and concerned when we lose our jobs. And we need to know that nothing, nothing’s going to happen to you.

You’re going to be just fine. The amount of times I say this to people that come to me with the most amazing, amazing careers, right? And they lose their jobs. And all of a sudden they’re so scared. I tell them, you’re going to be fine. You’re going to find another job, right? So just know this, remember that you’re going to be fine and use that fight and flight that is in in you and go and do the active rest by doing some, um, cardio exercises.

And don’t forget about. taking breaks during the day. I know this sounds simple, but taking short breaks throughout the day helps prevent burnout and will keep you focused. Even a five minute walk outside can be so refreshing. I went outside to, um, Uh, just clean out the driveway a little bit because of the snow.

I didn’t even go for a walk and just that fresh air was just so invigorating. So if you are in a job search or working and you’re sitting down for a long time, remember to take those little breaks and they make a big difference. Just a walk around the house, uh, make some tea, go outside. This is really important.

Now let’s talk about. A different type of rest, and that’s emotional and spiritual rest. Job searching and career change can bring up a lot of emotions. And it’s normal to feel anxious, but also to feel excited. To feel hopeless, and also to feel hopeful. To feel, uh, fearful, and also to feel anxious. Like this is a great opportunity for you.

So recharging emotionally, seeking out people who can lift you up is really important. And spending time with yourself in a lovely way as you as your best friend, you know, conferencing yourself, understanding that you’re going through. A difficult time, a challenging time, uh, an exciting time is important.

Surrounding yourselves with friends and family, mentors that can be supportive of you, that can give you perspective, that can give you advice. Listening to them, you know, not talking at them, but listening to them so that you can form that bigger picture inside your head is so important. So in addition to connecting with others, you can also find activities that you really enjoy doing, right?

And it can be as simple as making tea. I have been loving this tea. weird concoction that I do every day. It looks gross. That’s why my husband has asked me to always do it in a mug and it’s ginger, it’s turmeric, it’s cayenne pepper, honey, salt, and apple cider vinegar. And I do this and I drink this all day and it brings me such joy to do it.

You know, the smell of it, um, and I, in doing my coffee in the morning, um, Um, you know, doing this recording, you know, recording the podcast for me brings me such joy. So, surround yourself with things that bring you joy and, and use those activities that bring you joy at the best possible moments for you.

It may be, for you, it could be reading, it could be knitting, it could be painting, it could be cooking, it could be going outside and going for a hike. Whatever it is, make time for it and be mindfully there, right? Don’t just do it without noticing it. Just be mindfully there. These activities are great for bringing that sense of peace, satisfaction, and happiness really.

That separates the mind. You from your career. Sometimes people get so attached to their careers that they don’t see beyond it. They don’t see what they can do beyond it or they can see life beyond it. But this is a perfect time for you to reflect on your life goals. So in those rest periods that you are allowing yourself to include in your life should give you that space to think about what you truly want from life and work.

Are you chasing after jobs or opportunities that align with your values? And reflecting on these questions can really help you realign and focus on your next steps so you don’t take steps in a passive way but you do them in a proactive way that are aligned with what you really, really want to do. Now, the elephant in the room, I’ve mentioned it before, it’s the digital detox.

The digital detox and reconnecting with nature. Again, I’m talking to myself here. I need it more than anybody. We spend so much time in front of screens, especially during job search. But in my case, you know, as somebody who is trying to get clients and trying to increase my audience, I’m also all over social media.

I have. from TikTok to LinkedIn, and it can be, you know, a toll on my mental health and my ability to rest. So I need to find better ways to engage with social media, engage with you really, because I, I get so many, I get so much. satisfaction from receiving DMs and messages from people that reach out to me on social media.

But I think what I need to do and what I highly recommend that you do as well is scheduling a digital detox. Um, I have a friend and he’s Jewish and he does Shabbat. So, you know, I keep thinking about this and she said, you should do it, Renata. I think you really do appreciate not Doing anything from Friday to Saturday.

Maybe I could do it at another day But I think what’s important is to allocate those 24 hours or maybe every day, you know a few hours Just before going to bed or early in the morning where you do not touch your device, right? And this can be you know, simple it can be You know, taking a day where you don’t check your emails and scroll through social media like my friend does.

Or it could be something that you do daily. Uh, like in the morning, a lot of people recommend that you don’t check your, your emails in the morning. I find it hard to do because I am on call for my private clients. So I wake up in the morning and I really need to check if they need me right away. Because I have clients all over the world as well.

So if I’m asleep and they have spent the day applying for jobs, and now they need to talk to me because a recruiter has reached out, I need to check my, my, my devices. But maybe I can give myself a break on the weekend. Right? So, I think it will be very freeing for me and for you if we allow ourselves to be more present, you know, and be more present in the world around us, spending more time in nature, spending more time, um, looking at things that are not close to us, but they are farther away.

You know, I remember my, my first yoga teacher. And she used to make us do this exercise of looking at things far away. And when I did my mindfulness meditation training, um, in, in Melbourne, again, you know, part of that mindfulness, uh, training was to, um, do that restoration with your eyes, you know, restore your eyesight by just learning how to look far away.

I think we forget that we actually don’t look far away anymore because we don’t need to, especially unless you’re driving. You know, everything is so close to us. Our monitors, our books, our TVs, our screens from our phones. So let’s take a walk in the park. Let’s go for a hike or even just sit in the backyard with a book.

So this is Think about nature that is so grounding, that is so fantastic and beneficial to us. Um, from a health point of view, it is a great way to step away from the constant hustle. So if you are like me and like in Melbourne, I live by the sea, go and, you know, water, ocean, There’s research that shows that that is so good, bathing in forest, so that sort of greenery is always, um, so beneficial.

So if you’re near a park or near bush or forest, just go and have a walk there if you can. And if social media adds stress for your life, let’s cut it back. It doesn’t mean that you have to delete your accounts. Definitely do not delete your LinkedIn account. You know how much that. You know, I believe that is so important for today’s corporate professionals.

You have to be on LinkedIn. I know that. But let’s be mindful how much time we spend scrolling. So that doom scrolling is really bad for us. And less social media will mean more time for real rest. Now, how can we create a more restorative environment around us? I’ve been thinking about this and I think one of the best ways to support rest is by creating a restful environment at home.

Now, I, obsessed with this. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that there is a, um, uh, highlight of my home and I love creating coziness at home. And it’s not because I own my home. I’ve rented for years and years for decades, really. And I also created coziness at home. I Even though, uh, the walls are bare here, uh, you know how much I believe that color and textures and decoration helps uplift moods.

So when I’m seeing my clients and I’m in my office with that beautiful wall behind me, so many clients tell me that that soothes them and helps them. And, uh, when I was traveling last year, Some of them asked me, can you put that in a, um, a green screen, so a background behind you. And I asked my son to take a picture, because some clients prefer me with that fake background of my office, um, in order to restore their energies, it soothes them.

It was, and I think that if you can create something like that at your place, it’s great. My son is actually, has just moved to this house, and I’m facing a white wall, but he’s doing quite a good job, um, creating a lovely home for him here in this new country. So I would, I would really recommend that you think about how you can make your house cozy.

Even if you have a completely different style from mine. You know, even if your style is very beige and white, I find that really restful as well when I go into houses that have a very, um, You know, a very simple color theme. That’s not me. I’m a maximalist. So if you follow me, you know, but I understand, uh, the appeal, um, I don’t think you have to redecorate your entire house or invest any money in it, but it’s just creating at least a cozy corner for you to sit and enjoy a view or, um, for you to sleep well, you know, at some calming elements that you have.

Thanks. that are great for you. It could be a comfortable chair. It could be some candles. It could be relaxing music. Your environment really does play a huge role in your ability to unwind. If you follow YouTubers from, from Scandinavia, you see that they have beautiful ways, you know, if they’re Danish or if they’re Norwegian, they have beautiful ways of creating a lovely space for them during winter.

I’m here in Europe and it’s winter time here and I know how important it is because there’s so much time spent inside. The other thing is decluttering. It can also make your space feel restful and nicer for you. So if you’re surrounded by clutter, that is really mentally draining. I also personally don’t like to be surrounded by things that are broken.

It really annoys me if I put my walk by a window and it’s broken or a picture hanging on a wall and it’s crooked. Those things are mentally draining because I’m seeing it and every time I see it, it annoys me. And I heard that that’s bad Feng Shui. So I don’t understand Feng Shui, but somebody told me and I think that that is true.

So try organizing a bit if you are, if you have time this end of year, see if it helps you feel more at ease and comfortable in your own home. Now let’s talk about creative rest. Now this is really important for you if you’re job seeking. If you’re somebody who loves learning. Why don’t you pick up a new hobby or a skill?

Resting doesn’t mean that you have to be completely idle. It might mean that you need to switch that amazing energy that you have, that you really want to put all of that into work. But ideally you want to leave some of that great energy to a side hustle, to a hobby, to a An activity that you do that has nothing to do with your career.

So trying something new can spark creativity and give you a sense of accomplishment that is outside of career achievement. And this is really important, expressing yourself through different means that are not, not about work, that are not about positions of leadership or career achievements. It could be art, it could be music, it could be baking, it could be running.

So I want you to find what it is that provides you with mental relief and that provides you with a sense of achievement that has nothing to do with work. These activities, don’t demand, shouldn’t demand a lot from you. I think that that’s important too. I don’t want that to add another stress to your life.

They, they should be something you do for fun and to, you know, use up your time in a way that is joyful and engaging for you. Okay, rest and rejuvenation can also come from what you put into your body. So let’s talk about it. Eating well and staying hydrated support your physical and mental well being.

And this is so important, especially for job seekers going through job interviews. I want you to try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and a whole bunch of grains. I, part of my expertise when I’m working with clients is managing their caffeine intake before interviews, managing sugar before job interviews.

I want you to know that this can really affect your performance if you’re going through recruitment and selection, especially if you’re going through interviews. So, Remember also to drink enough water. Many of us forget to drink water and that in fact can affect your ability to think, your ability to answer questions on the spot at interviews.

So if you’re interested in interview preparation, book a consultation with me and I will share with you so much information that’s part of my, my coaching expertise with you. There’s a link below on the episode show notes, or you can go to my website and learn more about it. Lastly, let’s talk about how to make a rest a sustainable practice.

I mentioned this before, it needs to be something that is scheduled, that is regular. Whether it’s a daily routine or a weekly ritual, it’s important for you to schedule something that’s doable for you. So experiment with different types of rest and different ways of allocating it into your schedule.

Don’t try to overdo it in a way that makes you think, Oh, I can’t do it and throw everything away and not ever do it again. So maybe try to One thing that you think is more important, maybe for you it will be, let’s say, digital detox and it could be once a month, once a fortnight, or a few minutes of journaling each night.

Find what works for you and don’t try everything at once. After a period of rest, take time to reflect on what you’ve learned. Did you gain clarity? Do you feel recharged? Was this type of rest that you did useful? Use these insights to approach your next steps with fresh perspective. And if you fall off the wagon and you know, you need to restart, restart it.

I think it’s important for you to know that it’s not going to be linear. You will fall off the wagon and it’s important to remember that it’s okay for those things to happen and for you to just start over. So look, there you have it. Rest is one of the most powerful tools that you can use in your toolkit as a corporate professional, as a leader of people, as somebody that gives so much, but you need to put your mask on first, as they say, when you fly on airplanes and whether you are taking time to reconnect with yourself, spend time with nature, spend time with others, just taking a few minutes to breathe.

Remember that rest Is an investment in yourself. and in your future. Now, before you go, I want to ask you a small favor. If you found this episode useful, make sure that you listen to other episodes. And the best way to keep in touch with us is to subscribe to the podcast wherever you found it. And You can also subscribe to my newsletter in which case I will send you the new episode every week by email and I also in this newsletter have a session that is subscribers only advice, tips and insights that I provide only to those that subscribe to my, my new email.

So please go to the, um, show notes below and find that link and please subscribe. And. If you’ve been a listener and you’re here, I’d love for you to consider leaving a review because it’s the best Christmas gift that you could ever give me. Or if you’re listening to this after Christmas, it would be the best gift you could ever give me period.

Um, you have no idea how important it is for podcasts like mine that are not huge, but are growing to get people to provide reviews, give it a five star in your app of choice. And finally, don’t forget to check my website. I am a career coach. I have online courses that are inexpensive, that are great investments for you.

You don’t need to, you know, spend a lot to learn a lot. And I have Great programs there to support your career and your job search journey, and I’d love for you to check them out. Maybe buy them for yourself as a Christmas present, or maybe buy it for others. If that’s something that you want to do, reach out to me and we can organize it as a gift.

There is so much there for you to explore, and I’d love for you to be involved in my, my community through subscribing to my email and becoming one of my clients. So thank you so much for listening today. Please take care. Happy resting and I will see you soon. Bye for now.

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