How well do you take advantage of slower times of the year to get some rest?

Our reader poll today asks: How well do you take advantage of slower times of the year to get some rest?

• Very well: when things slow down, so do I 21.87%
• Well: I could stand to take a little more rest though 40.47%
• Not well: I tend to keep pushing hard even though things around me are slow 28.83%
• Poorly: I never stop pushing regardless of how slow things around me get 8.83%

Give yourself a break! 38% of you report not doing a good job of taking advantage of slower times of the year and giving yourself some rest. It can be hard to turn off the intensity of your regular approach to work but learn to cherish the slow times and let yourself rest and recover. The fast times will return – I guarantee it. By adjusting your pace and accepting a “breather” provided by the environment around you, you’re letting your body and mind recover from periods of prolonged stress. That recovery is essential for your health and welfare. Being rested will also help you adapt more quickly when fast times emerge again. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of continuing to push hard when everyone else is dialing down the intensity. You’ll be sorry you didn’t give yourself a break when everything starts moving rapidly again!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Did you enjoy this post?  If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog.  It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!).  SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!

These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.