For many people, the summer provides an opportunity to slow down a bit. You may have a holiday planned or simply a few quieter days. Whatever time you have available, try not to underappreciate its value.
It can be tempting to fill our breaks with activity, remain loosely connected to work or spend the first half of a holiday gradually winding down before beginning to anticipate our return. But time away works best when we allow ourselves to be fully present within it.
Rest will look different for everyone. It might mean travelling somewhere new, spending time with family and friends, being outside, reading, moving your body, or simply enjoying a quieter pace.
The important thing is to give yourself permission to step back and use that time in the way that restores you.
You do not need to optimise every moment of your holiday. In fact, trying to have the “perfect” break can become another form of pressure.
Rest = high-performance
When you return from a proper break with greater energy, an improved mood and renewed motivation, you are better equipped to meet the demands ahead. You are more likely to bring perspective to challenges, patience to relationships and creativity to your work.
The same principle applies throughout the year. We cannot rely on one annual holiday to compensate for months of inadequate recovery. A strong rest ethic is also built through the smaller choices we make regularly: taking proper breaks, protecting evenings, getting enough sleep and creating slivers of recovery where our attention is not being pulled back towards work.
Rest is not something we should only prioritise once we are exhausted. By then, we are already trying to recover from a deficit. It is far more effective when it is planned and protected before we reach that point.
Top performing leaders prioritise recovery
The pressure of leadership can make rest feel difficult to justify. When others depend on you, stepping back can feel irresponsible. But this is the paradox of the self-neglecting leader: sacrificing your own wellbeing in service of others eventually diminishes your ability to lead them well.
Top-performing leaders understand that recovery is not separate from leadership performance. It protects the energy, judgement, patience and perspective they need to make good decisions and support their people effectively.
They also recognise that their behaviour sets the cultural standard. Encouraging people to switch off has limited impact if you continue to send late-night emails, work through holidays, or praise constant availability as commitment.
Choosing rest sends a powerful message: taking annual leave, protecting boundaries and returning properly recovered are signs of responsible leadership, not a lack of ambition.
How strong is your rest ethic?
As you approach your next break, consider how deliberately you protect rest and recovery.
Do you disconnect fully, or remain available just in case?
Do you see rest as an essential part of performance, or something you have to earn?
Do your everyday habits restore your energy, or are you relying on your next holiday to repair months of depletion?
A strong work ethic may help you achieve results in the short term. A strong rest ethic enables you to continue performing, adapting and contributing over the long term.
Sustainable success does not come from always being “on”. It comes from knowing when, and how, to switch off.
So, whatever your summer has in store, make the most of the connection, the experiences and the quieter moments available to you. Give your rest the same attention and respect you give your work. You will return with far more to give.
Have a great summer!
