“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it” – Lou Holtz

Entering the second quarter of 2025, I see and feel the effects of the high-paced, always connected, success-driven world we live in. Businesses, communities, and families are paying the price, even if they might not have recognised the cost yet.

Chronic illness, burnout, anxiety, fatigue, and other physical illnesses are taking their toll on our families and communities. Businesses are impacted by increased sick leave, decreased productivity and creativity, and poor decision-making due to this rest deficit.

As businesses and communities, we cannot afford these costs — for some, we currently have no way of measuring what the cost is. We need to change our perceptions of this and the way we think about it. We need to be strategic about rest and change the way we carry the increasing load.

In Invest in Rest – Part 1 I discussed why we need rest to be successful.
Invest in Rest – Part 2 looked at what rest is and the types of rest and now we need to explore how we can incorporate strategic rest into life and business.

Strategic Rest

Strategic rest is not about passive idleness, it requires a deliberate, purposeful and intellectual approach and process to ensure sustainable high performance over time. On an individual level and as businesses, there needs to be a conscious decision to incorporate strategies to include rest.

As individuals we need to create habits and routines that include all 7 types of rest. Examples will include going for a short walk, practising gratitude, getting enough sleep, practise a creative hobby, read a book, meditate or journal and spent time with friends and family. Make it a priority to incorporate rest into your daily life. Choose ways of rest that is suitable for your circumstances and schedule.

Business Strategies

For business, this need to become a strategic discussion. We need to have strategies to ensure a sustainable high performing workforce.

Strategies to consider include:

1. Create awareness of the benefits of rest
   
   Ensure that all stakeholders understand the benefits of strategic rest and the cost and impact of not paying attention to this (increased sick leave, unproductivity, higher employee turnover, etc).
   
2. Implement flexible working hours
   
   Investigate and implement flexible working hours, where possible, for the business. Enabling employees to be flexible in their working hours allows individuals to work during their high energy hours or when suits their specific personal circumstances best. This might not be during the normal working hours. Not all industries and businesses can implement flexible hours, but when possible it allows employees to maximize their productivity and boost morale.
   
3. Implement policies and procedures that support rest
   
   Technological advances have created an environment in which we are always connected. The boundaries between work and home are no longer clear. Consider implementing a policy that allows for disconnecting. This gives employees the right to disconnect and not engage in work-related activities outside their regular working hours. Respecting personal time and allowing rest will boost morale and well-being.
   
4. Encourage use of leave
   
   Review the leave policy and encourage the use of allocated leave. Studies have shown that longer periods of uninterrupted leave are necessary for proper rest. This will only be effective if supported by processes and procedures within the team to facilitate transfer of work between team members.
   
5. Training on time management
   
   Provide training on time management relevant to the different levels of employees and your business environment. Most employees struggle with prioritisation, delegation and time management in general. Training on time management techniques like the 80/20 rule, Eisenhower matrix and Pomodoro technique will provide the ability to get more done in less time.
   
6. Encourage focused scheduling
   
   It is tiring and unproductive to work with fractured days. The mind does not actually like to multi-task cognitive thinking. For most employees there is not enough focused time — they jump between activities and tasks constantly, most times not finishing one task before starting the next. Encourage the use of no-meeting-time and focused time in schedules.
   
7. Encourage short breaks during the day
   
   Taking short breaks regularly during the day increases productivity and performance. Even though the length of time will differ between individuals, the mind cannot focus intensely for long periods of time. A short break increases focus and productivity. A quick stretch or a 5 min walk will boost concentration, positive attitude and performance. Quiet zones within the workspace also provide a good place for short breaks in an open-plan working place.
   
8. Create a safe working environment
   
   Create a safe working environment where employees can openly communicate their struggles and challenges. When employees feel they are being heard with regards to workload and challenges, solutions can be implemented sooner. Having regular check-ins and feedback sessions creates the space and opportunities for open communication.
   

These strategies have the potential to allow genuine rest and recovery, leading to a workforce that are present and engaged when at work.

Conclusion

An urgent transformation is needed to curb the current wave of illness, fatigue and burnout we are experiencing. The price of not changing our way of thinking is too high.

Can you and your business afford not to be strategic about rest and well-being for yourself and your employees?

“Rest isn’t a reward for the work; it’s part of the work” – Leesa Renée

At wauperform we believe in building performance management from the business to the workforce, to have sustainable growth. We will gladly assist you with the process. Contact Rici van Schalkwyk on 021 819 7817 or at rvanschalkwyk@wauko.com to learn more.