The Energy Frame: REST

In many respects, the body is like a luxury automobile. Treat it well, give it the right fuel, and keep up the maintenance and it will take you on a fabulous ride. Treat it poorly and it will need constant repairs and it will not get you where you want to go. Food may be the body's energy fuel, but rest is what keeps it from wearing down prematurely.

There are different kinds of rest. There's the kind we get from a good night's sleep, from a lazy afternoon lying in a hammock, or simply from staring out into space for a couple of minutes every now and again. Then there's the kind of rest that I get from building a stone wall in my garden or that a Fortune 500 CEO gets from yacht racing. It's the kind of rest that is not an end unto itself, but that is used for refueling and rejuvenation to give you the energy you need to actively participate in life.

Even though these "rest" activities expend energy, they also give the mind a chance to see things from a different perspective. When a CEO races a yacht, he's pursuing an activity that he finds restful. At the same time, he learns about teamwork, leadership, and adapting to changes in weather. He takes this information back to his company and improves the way he runs his business. Engaging in hobbies and interests that are so relaxing gives us time to clear our minds and think of other things.

The Rest Frame

There are as many ways to rest as there are people in the world. Here are a few:

• Take a 20-minute power nap in the middle of the day. Studies have shown that napping for about 20 minutes gives us much-needed rest without making us overtired. More than 30 minutes will make you groggy.

• Take a short (no more than 10 minutes), brisk shower in warm water to get reenergized. Falling water has a powerful energizing reaction owing to "negative ions" or molecules that have adopted an extra electron. This increases the release of seratonin in the brain.

• Change your activity. One friend of mine takes a break from work by making phone calls to raise funds for his favorite charity. While that may not seem like rest to most of us, it gives him a change from his usual routine and supplies him with positive energy. Whatever type of break you take, when you come back to work again, you will feel calmer and more capable. You'll be ready to begin again with renewed energy and a fresh attitude.