How to Rest Your Brain Even When You’re Busy 😮‍💨

I want to go over, Jenna and Faye, the questions that were submitted specifically about rest so we could build some momentum for this book.

Yeah, sure thing. First one we have here is, why is rest not just a passive state but an active contributor to our brain's optimization and overall mental health?

Okay. And I encourage everyone to take notes if you could. Sometimes when you write it down, it just becomes more permanent. It's the first step of taking something from the inside and making it on the outside, right? When you're— when I want to remind everybody, one of the first principles that we teach is if there's this— if you ever feel dissonance, like cognitive dissonance about something, you're distraught, you're facing some kind of challenge, you can either— you only have 2 choices. You either change your procedure or your perception, right? You're in a situation at work or with a loved one, and you can either change your procedure, how you communicate and how you say it and what you say and what you do, Or if you can't do that or you don't want to do that, you have to change your perspective on it so it doesn't bother you, if that makes sense. And so, yeah, I mean, that'd be an interesting conversation to have, a radical acceptance. So I'm going to do short answers on this because I think it doesn't take a whole lot. And because we are going into this with Claudia, you ask, why is rest not just a passive state but an active contributor to your brain? So rest is not just doing nothing. For me, it's an active process where your brain sorts through information, consolidates memory, it strengthens neural connections. There's studies that show that when you study something or you practice something and you take a rest, you'll actually learn it better because you'll start replaying that unconsciously forwards and backwards in your mind. So it helps you to integrate. So your brain engages in what they call the default mode network, which we mentioned before. Which enhances problem solving and enhances creativity. And when you prioritizing this kind of mental downtime, it fuels productivity and it sharpens your ability to learn faster and think more, more clearly. So I feel like, you know, that's why, because I'm, I'm like a lot of you, I'm just like, my wife is like this too, just very Type A, just go, go, go. And you know, thinking that they, you know, that we don't need to rest or we, that we can't rest, but actually it's not as productive as actually taking a break. And, you know, so that the reason why I insisted on this book was to remind everybody that rest is not a nice to have, it's absolutely a must to have.

All right. The next question. What are some of the most surprising findings from research on rest and how it impacts mental performance and cognitive function?

It's a good question. So one of the most surprising insights is that rest isn't just beneficial, it's essential. And so we talked about how vital it is. There's studies that show that people who build periods of rest in their day are more focused and productive than those who push through without breaks, right? True rest, it would replenish cognitive energy. And prevents mental fatigue and burnout. Claudia's research, you probably came across this, highlights the brain's performance can drop sharply without rest, but strategic breaks can restore that focus quickly and then energy, allowing you to come back more energized and more effective. So, you know, if anything, us talking about this makes it more— it's kind of like remembering names.

Yeah.

If you go through a training about how to remember names, maybe even if you don't use the strategies, you're more likely to remember names because it's just in your conscious attention. So I think there's a lot of benefit there for that.

So the next one would be, for someone caught in a cycle of constant striving, how can they recognize when rest is needed before reaching burnout?

Does anyone struggle in this area? Like maybe you kind of push your limits a little bit too far and then you're like, no, maybe a little bit, maybe just me. Okay. So recognizing when rest is needed begins with tuning into your body's signals. And I even took a pause to kind of feel myself when I said that. If you're persistently tired, if you're irritable, if you notice that there's a dip in your concentration, these are strong, strong indicators. So if you find yourself reading the same paragraphs repeatedly or struggling with a simple decision, you're struggling with decision fatigue, it could be a sign that your brain needs a break, right? And so what I would recommend is start by scheduling a brief mindful pause throughout the day. If you don't take time to rest, your brain will force you to rest, often in the form of burnout. So definitely, definitely prioritize that.

What are your top practical strategies for integrating moments of rest into a busy schedule without feeling guilty or unproductive?

So my goal with rest is guilt-free rest, right? You don't, you don't want, if you're going to do something, you, you do it. Maybe you're going to eat that thing that maybe you shouldn't eat, but if you're going to do it, if you're going to get yourself paying for it. Maybe there's benefits. So you, but that judgment, I, I feel like if you're gonna do something that's, that gives you pleasure, then you should just do that if you're not, you know, if you're, if you're not doing anything illegal, immoral, or unethical. So guilt-free rest starts with reframing your mindset. We talk about mindset a lot. Rest is part of being productive. It's not an interruption. So that's my belief. And I know this 'cause I've hit a wall.

Yeah.

you know, where I was hospitalized and going nights without sleep. And, you know, it certainly— so I did. So one-time learning for me. So schedule non-negotiable rest blocks, even if it's just 5 minutes, 10 minutes. We recommended a number of devices, Muse headset, some of you using NuCalm, you know, some people use other things to help them. You know, for me, listening to music does it. Taking a walk outside with our dogs does it. For me, I do my meditation. I have to do it each And again, if you've heard me say this, and I would, I would just test it for 3 weeks and integrate these mini breaks, quick breaks between your tasks to recharge without disrupting your flow. Okay. You want, if you wanna take this next level where I would go with this personally, how I do it is I go back to the brain animals. All right. So you're all familiar with brain animals, right?

Yeah.

So which brain animal are you? You could put it in the chat or put in the comments if you're watching this recorded. This is so accurate. This is, this is amazing to me. All right, so here's, here's how it works. We have something called, uh, our brain codes, and this is something I worked on for years. I pull from, uh, positive psychology. I pull from Myers-Briggs, introvert, extrovert, left brain, right brain learning styles, multiple intelligence theory to create a 4-minute assessment, multiple choice. Someone could put in the chat, it's mybrainanimal.com. We offer it free. And then we're actually growing this where we follow up with how to read faster based on your brain animal type, or how to even hire based on your brain animal type, or how do you parent based on brain animals. So this is how it— I'm giving you this example to not only support your rest, but to give you another layer of tapestry to understand how brain animals work. All right, so it's code, C-O-D-E. What does the C stand for? What animal? All right, great. Cheetah.

Cheetah.

So their dominant trait for cheetah is action. And I'm just doing this for repetition. Part of how we learn better, there's 2 things: spaced repetition, uh, 'cause there was a number of questions on memory, spacing it out, and also testing yourself. Testing yourself, it's called retrieval practice. So very important. Like, do you know that somebody who who reads this book, but then reads it and then tests themselves on it, the information that you're testing on, do you know what the increase is for understanding retention is on average? So let's say you hear something, you have a conversation with somebody and you test yourself on a body of that work. What percentage are you more likely to understand and retain just by testing yourself? 50%. I mean, that's a huge— great. Oh, great, Debbie. 50%. So just by reading something and testing yourself on what you just read will boost your understanding upwards of 50%. So a cheetah is action-oriented, so they read differently than an owl does who's very detail-oriented, or a dolphin who visualizes everything and pictures, you know, what they're reading more, or an elephant who's more empathetic and wants to feel. connected to the author or their point of view. So cheetahs tend to push themselves until they've completed their goals. And I, and you probably can think of some cheetahs in your life. Like maybe they're sitting, sitting in the seat that you're sitting in right, right now, which that could lead to burnout if rest isn't a priority. The best time for a cheetah to rest is right after a period of intense focus or achievement. To avoid that crash. And so it's not just when to rest, it's how to rest. Just like with exercise, a cheetah could be doing more high, high-intensity short sprints or what have you, where let's say an elephant is doing things that are more connecting them to their body, or a dolphin is doing more dance or some, something more creative pursuit. How can you rest? You can incorporate if you're If you're a cheetah, incorporate active rest to match your high-energy nature, right? What does that look like? Activities could be anything from, from stretching to yoga to a short walk and help cheetahs recharge while still feeling like they're moving forward, right? So if I was a cheetah, I would schedule short, regular brain breaks during high-productive periods to prevent exhaustion and to boost my energy. And so the key tip here is really to block time to power down, right? These are power-down moments similar to cooling down after a sprint. And cheetahs can set reminders to pause, to breathe, especially during busy days. The O, and this is an acronym, CODE. So the C is cheetah, the O is owls, and their dominant trait is logic and they're more analytical. So when can they rest? They can rest during times when their brain has reached, you know, cognitive saturation with all those facts and figures and formulas, usually after long periods of problem solving or maybe long periods of studying. Whether it's evening or late afternoon might be ideal for unwinding and processing information. Owls would choose how to rest differently maybe than a cheetah. And this is a simplification, right? Everyone's a little individual. Owls, they thrive more with structure, right? So structured rest activities like reading a non-work-related book is active rest, right? Journaling, engaging in a puzzle or a hobby, chess that shifts their brain, you know, into something, into something different, right? And so owls can also benefit from mindfulness exercise. We all can. It's just some people are more likely to do it or more Some people are more likely to benefit more because of their brain animal. But this helps them disconnect from overthinking, right? Thinking is good, but overthinking, want everything to be perfect, not so good. But that helps them to transition to a restful state. And then finally, the D and the E. The D are your dolphins, and these are your visionaries. Dolphins are people very passionate about what they can imagine. And so dolphins are natural dreamers if you're a dolphin. You could probably relate to that. You lose— maybe I would hallucinate that if you identify as a dolphin, you lose track of time when you're ideating or working on something like a passion project. Maybe you're in that flow state, you lose your sense of self, time, and everything. I would recommend for dolphins to take breaks when they notice a dip in their creative flow, or they feel mentally scattered would be another indicator. So the best time to rest might be, you know, late morning, mid-afternoon, depending on their chronotype. And we'll talk about chronotypes more with Dr. Michael Bruce. How do they rest? Engage in rest that fuels their creative mind. So just think like, what would that be if you're creative? And you could put it in the chat. It could be doodling, it could be daydreaming, it could be spending time in nature. Dolphins can benefit from sensory rest where they step away from screens. There's a place in town where they— and where I live, and most cities have it— where they have float tanks, right? Have you ever been in a float tank? It's a sensory deprivation tank. It's like a big egg. It has like maybe not even a foot of water, about 1,000 pounds of salt. So you float, so you can't see anything. You can't hear anything and you can't feel anything because the temperature of the water is body temperature. So you're in tune with those senses, so they turn off and you get— I get such creative insights afterwards and it's a nice meditation for me. But that would be a tool. So practices for creatives could be visualization, gentle stretching paired with maybe music, you know, get the creative juices going, can enhance relaxation. I would schedule time for dolphins to schedule dream breaks, right? To let your mind wander freely without pressure. You create, you schedule white space for your minds to go and you go on these stream of consciousness and you come up with all these ideas that then emerge. And then finally, the last one, They are your elephants. The E in CODE are your elephants. And what's an elephant? They, they're highly empathetic. They're community-oriented. So they might feel drained when they've given too much of their emotional energy to others because they're always supporting people around them. So rest is essential after long interactions or when maybe, maybe they've taken an emotional weight from those around them and they're carrying a burden. I would imagine evenings or quiet mornings are often the best times for elephants to be able to recharge. And what kind of activities can you do? Because I have a strong elephant tendency. And it's interesting because I could figure out going back in my history, you know, being bullied and kind of ostracized and kind of marginalized where I'll just watch people and, you know, could feel other people's pain just watching them go through things.

Yeah.

But yeah, things like quiet reflection, spending time with close family or loved ones would help recharge. Participating in like soothing rituals might be drinking some tea or a light conversation with a trusted friend. And the big one, deep breathing. That can be a game changer. Deep breathing exercises. And while you're listening to NuCalm or some calming music to restore your energy. And I just wanna remind elephants, you know, you have to harmonize social connection with solitude, right? Like, especially for introverts, because remember the story I told you when I, Susan Cain, who wrote a book called Quiet, which is the number one book by far on introverts, she, Simon Sinek, and I were having a meal and then we're talking about introverts, extroverts, and You know, she said that introverts wake up every morning with 5 gold energy coins, and every single time they engage with people that day, they give up one of their coins, right? Until they're out of coins and they have to go home and, or somewhere and just replenish again in solitude. Where extroverts are different, they wake up with no coins, so they have no energy and they can't wait to be around people because every single time they engage with people, they get a coin. All right. And that's how they get energized. So it's not so much what Whether it's like being around people, it's more, it's the energy, like most things. So elephants could practice saying no. I'll put that out there to certain obligations, right? When you say yes to somebody, make sure you're not saying no to yourself. You protect your energy, you create space for rest. A warm bath, practicing gratitude could help anchor you in the present and rejuvenate your body, your mind, and certainly your spirit. So just kind of some ideas here. And again, the reason I do this, like many times when I'm just sharing, is to layer the art of rest, seeing things, getting in the practice of seeing things through brain types. I've had all my friends and family, our team, take this assessment because it gives me an idea of how they perceive the world, how they think about things, how they process things, and so much more.