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How Rest Can Make You Better at Your Job | The Way We Work, a TED series

Yes, you need to take breaks at work. Not only is resting good for your brain — it might even make you more creative. Here are consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s four tips to help you step away and return to your job with more energy to get things done. The Way We Work is a…

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Yes, you need to take breaks at work. Not only is resting good for your brain — it might even make you more creative. Here are consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s four tips to help you step away and return to your job with more energy to get things done.

The Way We Work is a TED original video series where leaders and thinkers offer practical wisdom and insight into how we can adapt and thrive amid changing workplace conventions. Visit  for more!

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51 Comments

51 Comments

  1. Not Your girl

    October 17, 2023 at 4:34 pm

    I need to show this my boss

  2. SpookyRedz

    October 17, 2023 at 4:35 pm

    If you do not get proper rest , you will not succeed, you will lose your job

  3. med jones

    October 17, 2023 at 4:36 pm

    The smartest thing that should be on everyone’s mind right now should be to invest in different streams of income that are not dependent on the government. Especially with the current economic crisis around the world. This is still a good time to invest in gold, silver, and digital currencies (BTC ETH…)

    • rahman Rachel

      October 17, 2023 at 5:04 pm

      I came in contact with Deborah in a conference at Washington, I talked to her after she made a speech and was opportuned to invest with her ever since then my life has been better than my past.she’s a great personality in the state.

    • Jonathan Harry

      October 17, 2023 at 5:10 pm

      Having a pro mentoring you is very
      important when it comes to trading.
      Just follow her instructions.

    • Madge L Eaton

      October 17, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      never thought investing in crypto would  this
      profitable until i met Fx mam Deborah Lee Clark.

    • Hirat

      October 17, 2023 at 6:08 pm

      wtf is that scam

    • Frances Bernard

      October 17, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      The only problem with that could become not choosing the right person or persons to invest in the same income stream.

  4. 🔴 LISA LIVE

    October 17, 2023 at 4:36 pm

    2:18:57 The day becomes 10X better when you uploads.❤

  5. trashtvinternational

    October 17, 2023 at 4:42 pm

    WE NEED 4 DAY WORK WEEK

    • Ivan Novotny

      October 17, 2023 at 4:53 pm

      @trash
      Why are you shouting in capital letters? 🤔

    • Paolo Rossi

      October 17, 2023 at 5:17 pm

      if you ask me, I would say that three days a week, 6 hours/day, would be more than enough.

    • akm960

      October 17, 2023 at 5:25 pm

      I work four days now and trust me it should definitely be 3 days a week.

    • akm960

      October 17, 2023 at 5:25 pm

      @Paolo RossiI agree. Lot of people would be more productive with that kind of schedule and might have more energy to do overtime if they wanted to.

  6. Anya Getman

    October 17, 2023 at 4:43 pm

    I do 3 infinite back to back days, a short day, and 3 days off

  7. Malex

    October 17, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    Yeah go to bed early so you can work harder for your boss

    • areplica

      October 17, 2023 at 5:49 pm

      And wake up early so you can take a walk with your friend what he’s missing is that some people aren’t getting enough sleep and once that’s settled you can perform active rest lol

  8. RC Prepping

    October 17, 2023 at 4:49 pm

    I power nap for an hour every day when I am at the office.

    • Kate

      October 17, 2023 at 5:01 pm

      Does it help?

  9. tsrif tsal

    October 17, 2023 at 4:55 pm

    I hate work.

  10. Kate

    October 17, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    Right message for me now, thanks

  11. areplica

    October 17, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    This message is still coming from a hyper productivity lens while these are great suggestions some people need to sleep or be a couch potato that’s rest too these suggestions still require work that some people don’t have the energy for

  12. Kiiyooo

    October 17, 2023 at 6:09 pm

    No way!people should do their job an when they want to do.

  13. Jacque Weber

    October 17, 2023 at 6:11 pm

    needed this 🙂

  14. Frances Bernard

    October 17, 2023 at 6:18 pm

    After watching this video I have decided that today the root picking on the other half of my back yard which was neglected for a long time before I started living in it can wait. After digging up that half including any stuborn long dandelion roots left in the ground on Sunday. Today it is cold and cloudy/ Why do I have no problem focusing on gardening and landscaping without much eqpipment for hours until it hurts as if it is my rest and recreation up until then? Is that because I am from the first generation of people on both sides of my family who grew up in a city?

  15. Brandon Kratz

    October 17, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    I prefer sleep and play

  16. Ruined Bectorem

    October 17, 2023 at 7:55 pm

    How to apply this for SOC and On Call for IR all the time?

  17. Wagwanbennydj

    October 17, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    Work sucks we know…

  18. rosetzu_nagasawa

    October 17, 2023 at 9:01 pm

    humans need to understand basic biology.
    There is no way to store sleep etc.
    There is no short cuts.

  19. RevivingEnergy

    October 17, 2023 at 9:36 pm

    I really hate doing work

  20. Angel Caballero

    October 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    If they’d pay me more maybe I would care about being more productive.

  21. Tìm Kiếm Đầu Tư

    October 17, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    Hi❤The video is great. Thank you❤❤❤

  22. Tribal Cheif☝️

    October 17, 2023 at 10:00 pm

    I love work

  23. No One Star

    October 17, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    Reflection is key.

    🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨

  24. Ee Lin Teah

    October 17, 2023 at 11:55 pm

    *The Subtitle*

    The world teaches us that long hours are inevitable and inescapable, that overwork is a badge of honor and resting is a weakness.
    Super successful people rise and grind, are always on and never stop.
    Deep down, we know this is unhealthy and unsustainable.
    But is there an alternative?

    [The Way We Work]

    Downtime is deeply undervalued in today’s 24/7 world, but it hasn’t always been this way.
    Virtually every ancient society define the good life as balancing work and rest, and recent research in neuroscience and psychology has shown that rest strengthens our brains, enhances our learning and stimulates our creativity.
    History’s most accomplished scientists, writers and military leaders worked far fewer hours than we do today and built daily routines full of downtimes.
    People like naturalist Charles Darwin and geneticist Barbara McClintock, who both took daily walks knew that work and rest are not opposites, they are partners.
    You won’t fully flourish until you can master both.

    Here’s where you can start:

    1. Rethink what rest is.
    Getting enough sleep at night is key, and 20-minute naps are wonderful for a boost.
    But when it comes to taking downtime in the day, the most restorative rest isn’t found on a couch or in front of a screen.
    The best rest is active: exercise, hobbies, walks.
    These recharge our mental and physical batteries more effectively and give us more stamina and resilience than being a couch potato.
    Rest is natural, but it’s also a skill.
    It’s something we can practice and improve over time.
    Just as athletes, singers and Buddhist monks use breathing to run faster, project their voices and calm their minds, we can use rest to boost our creativity and recovery.

    2. Integrate it into your daily work.
    Athletes get the best results combining intensive training and recovery.
    Likewise, creative people should layer periods of distraction-free, deep work with period of deliberate rest.
    So design a routine that lets you focus and get into flow for four five hours a day, every day. Make those periods more intensive, not longer, by killing distractions.
    Give yourself permission to turn off email and messages and concentrate on what matters.
    And then, if you have the flexibility, give yourself a nice, long, active break.
    It will give your creative subconscious a chance to work on unsolved problems while you recover and generate those insights and aha moments that turn good ideas into breakthroughs.
    And if you don’t have that flexibility, find a way to make sure that when you’re off from work that you apply these same principles to at least part of your downtime.

    3. Tap into deep play.
    Creative, passionate people need breaks from their work, but those breaks have to be just as compelling as their work, or they won’t take them.
    Many scientists and CEOs are amateur painters, musicians or chefs on the side.
    These are hobbies that provide the same sense of accomplishment, control, mastery and flow that they get when work goes really well, but in a different environment and with a clear, quick reward.
    Often, their interest date from childhood, which makes them even more meaningful.
    So embrace an activity that makes you feel alive and involved in the world.
    It’s not a distraction.
    It’ll give you new experiences and the same pleasures and rewards as work at its best, without the compromises or ambiguities that often cloud things.

    4. Make rest social.
    The working world isn’t designed for rest.
    We have to take it.
    And one of the most powerful ways to guarantee that we make time for rest is to do it with others.
    So start work early, and meet a colleague for a walk in the afternoon.
    Or team up with your partner to perform a tea ceremony.
    Or make a childcare-swapping arrangement with a friend to give you both more time for rest.

    Remember, it’s not easy for busy, highly driven people to rest.
    It requires developing new practices and giving them time to become habits.
    You can’t rush it.
    Just as it takes time to settle into a new job or home, your mind needs time to start harnessing the power of rest.
    Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t already doing anything like this.
    There’s no better time to start than now.

  25. Rapha

    October 18, 2023 at 12:07 am

    Watching while sleep deprived is so on brand for me lol

  26. th.user8WYve

    October 18, 2023 at 1:06 am

    Basically go to sleep early, which leaves no room for any other entertainment, so you can perform better at work. Modern slavery

  27. Piper _Personality

    October 18, 2023 at 1:29 am

    Riding a bicycle outdoors is fantastic

  28. CatatonicBug

    October 18, 2023 at 1:59 am

    Laying here at midnight, knowing I should have been asleep 3 hours ago, watching a video promoting rest. I just need sleep!

  29. Dr. Sneha Kumar

    October 18, 2023 at 2:11 am

    Taking a walk out in nature is both refreshing, and eventually helps you reflect in things. Especially surrounded by greenery.

  30. Dinesh Sharma

    October 18, 2023 at 3:23 am

    Balance in life is the key to success

  31. Heri Styono

    October 18, 2023 at 4:24 am

    “What’s your best skill?”

    REST

  32. Sayed Jalaludin Ghori

    October 18, 2023 at 5:21 am

    Talk is cheap 😊

  33. Liant

    October 18, 2023 at 9:28 am

    very good material!

  34. Andrey Mihin

    October 18, 2023 at 10:01 am

    Work/life balance is an important thing to keep track of!

  35. Muhammed Rishdhi

    October 18, 2023 at 2:37 pm

    👍

  36. BYTESPARKS

    October 19, 2023 at 5:35 am

    Great speech, resting is for better work and life, resting does requires skills.

  37. sophia isabelle

    October 19, 2023 at 7:52 am

    I don’t know, man. My sleep schedule seems to be f*cked right now and it’s just not that great for me to talk about. You know how it is. Reality isn’t doing you any great favors.

  38. beautifulsmall

    October 20, 2023 at 8:38 pm

    I have my Banana walk , once a day , I pick up a banana from the canteen opposite the building im in , and walk to the put the skin in a bin , that was moved, so now I have to walk further to a skip.

  39. SAURABH JAIN

    October 21, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    I love Work

  40. October 22, 2023 at 5:18 pm

    Please script

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