take at least one day each week completely off

it is physically impossible for me to be on all the time and actually do whatever it is i need to be doing. through my most overwhelming, go go go periods in life, i have found that the key to being good at what i do is to protect the time that i’m not doing it. my preferred method is to give myself from friday evening to sunday morning to unabashedly, and without reservation, simply chill out. this has a very shabbat vibe to it that my ancestors would surely be thrilled about but i’m not talking about turning off every device, etc. (though that can be great if you enjoy it)

i’m talking leisure, whatever it means to you. but by scheduling it and staying consistent, i find that i can train my brain not to be stressed that i’m not being “productive” which is a feeling that i have when i take shorter breaks i haven’t planned in advance. have dinner with a friend, go for a hike, take a nap. and then when you’re done, if it’s still saturday (or whatever day you choose), pick another activity that isn’t productivity and enjoy it.

by building these mandatory, almost sacred, breaks into my week, i find that it’s so much easier to be on to get my work done the rest of the time. i don’t feel constantly burnt out, and i have the physical and emotional energy to make myself actually focus. of course there are periods of time when non-stop grind may be non-negotiable, but i really believe that in almost any profession, such periods should not be frequent.

so, basically, take a break! a long, real one, every single week! it has done much more for me over time than any little “hack” or “trick” to get myself to be productive on any given day