Even Rebels Need Rest

Summer is here! Ahh, an opportunity to head to the beach. Maybe the mountains. Take a load off. Take a breath. Mute the work email. Silence those LinkedIn notifications. Right?

Ideally, of course! Breaks are hugely beneficial. In reality, as an entrepreneur or business owner, it can feel pretty impossible to take a proper summer break. But you don’t need a whole week off with no WiFi to step back, dial things down, pause, and reset. Small changes can be hugely impactful too – and much easier to fit in.

But where to start? Well, here at Firestarter, we’re big fans of living by our values. Not only can they provide an invaluable anchor for business decisions, but they can be supremely useful as a guide for life too! So here’s how our Firestarter values – courage, ingenuity, unity, authenticity and playfulness – help shape the way we think about rest!

Courage: The Bravery to pause

For some of us (I’m looking in the mirror here), it actually takes courage to step back and relieve the pressure. Switching off completely can seem logistically impossible and potentially anxiety-provoking. And then there’s the relentless drive (and impatience!) to get stuff done. 

Yet, being brave enough to pause occasionally is mission-critical for long-term success and well-being. In fact, it could be one of the most productive things you do – and allowing your mind to wander may lead to monumental business breakthroughs.

• Just Say No: After all, does ‘yes’ mean much if you never say ‘no’? This can create space for the important – but not necessarily urgent – things that otherwise would rarely see the light of day. The resultant demands are likely to fit better with your priorities and values whilst also making it less likely you’ll be consistently over-committed (and over-stretched).
• Take a nap, have a daydream: Allow yourself to take that 15-20-minute power nap or, at the very least, disconnect from screens for some time. Daydreaming can boost alertness and leave you feeling rejuvenated – all without sacrificing hours or days.
• Do something that ‘scares’ you: It’s a little counterintuitive this one, but sometimes having the courage to step out of your comfort zone – whether it’s signing up to give a talk or being a guest on someone’s podcast can in itself be a healthy way of switching gears.

Ingenuity: Embracing creative rest

Ingenuity is all about finding creative solutions, particularly when hindered by constraints. Here are some creative yet practical ways to prioritise rest while working.

• Have walking meetings: Take your video calls with you and head out into nature, your garden, or your neighbourhood. 
• Work from a different location: For many of us, technology enables us to work from anywhere – so what’s holding you back from combining work days with a trip away? After all, as they say, a change is as good as a rest. They should have then said, ‘Especially if that change involves an Italian gelato in a sunny piazza watching the world go by.’.
• ‘Re-chunk’ your time: Simply changing the order of your day or the grouping of tasks can disrupt your routine and create space for different outcomes.

Unity: Leaning in without leaning on

We all know spending time with other people has huge psychological and physical benefits. But how often do we prioritise this? As in, proper, screen-free quality time? This doesn’t have to be team retreats or corporate golf days (although why not!), it can be as simple as making room for a moment of connection on a busy day. 

• Recognise and celebrate successes: Celebrate milestones and achievements to boost your team’s morale. Also, take the time to give kudos and acknowledgement for small efforts that may otherwise go unnoticed. 
• Remember kindness costs nothing: By demonstrating gratitude and kindness towards ourselves and others (and expecting nothing in return), we can shift the dial positively. 
• Reconnect with others: Life can be lonely sometimes, so don’t be boxed in by traditional roles and organisational boundaries. A friend in another industry or contrasting role may be on a surprisingly relatable journey, or they could offer an insightfully different perspective. In any event, what better time to catch up with an old friend over the summer? 

Authenticity: Be true to yourself

Taking time to reflect on the year so far can help align your actions with your core values, ensuring that you (and your business!) remain authentic. This will also help you power through any tough times to come. 

• Make a note: If you can’t easily disconnect, try the opposite. Take note of what surprises, delights and moves you on a daily basis. What was it? Where were you? Who was involved? Why did it elicit that response? What happened next? Sometimes, we need to reconnect with our emotions to reassess what’s important to us and why.
• Make an inventory: Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of where we’ve come from, the challenges we’ve faced, and the goals and aspirations that are now firmly banked. Simply revisiting those old goals and milestones can place the challenges of the moment and the path ahead into perspective and into the context of our full capabilities. Afterall you may already have accomplished many of the milestones you previously told yourself were the keys to fulfillment and happiness.
• Make a map of your life’s course: This could be an image of a stream, a mountain, or a cityscape. The Japanese Kawa Model can be particularly useful for this, as it sets out your past, present, and future as a river. The present circumstances are represented by rocks, causing turbulence and restricting the water’s flow. Our personal resources and assets can be represented as driftwood, providing something to grab onto. Exercises like this can be a great way to reconnect with our true selves.

Playfulness: Take play seriously

Playfulness fuels creativity like nothing else. When we allow ourselves to relax and have fun, we break open new avenues for innovation and problem-solving. An important part of this is connecting with our inner child, freed from all our learned limitations, beliefs, rules and suppositions.

• Have a laugh!: Laughter and humour are seriously underrated ways to relieve stress and create a relaxed environment – Dad jokes included. So take a moment to reconnect with what you find funny and uplifting, and microdose yourself with humour. 
• Be playful – and use language to match: Think about sandpits, playgrounds, play dates. If you want to reduce cognitive pressure, there’s nothing like explicitly signalling these in how you describe the task at hand. Try approaching activities with childlike curiosity and enthusiasm.
• Always leave room for the unexpected: Whether it’s capacity for passion projects, a window for creativity in the next sprint, or spare time in meeting agendas. Breakthrough innovations and ‘ah ha’ moments often happen in blank spaces (hello, Taylor).

Embrace the power of rest, even if just for a little while

Our core values are a brilliant place to start when looking for ways to recharge this summer. Whatever your summer entails, take a moment, take a step back, and maybe even take a dip. Embrace the transformative power of slowing down to go faster in your business and personal life.

Are you ready to embrace the power of rest in your business? At Firestarter, we specialise in helping purpose-led businesses and entrepreneurs like you find balance and authenticity.

Contact us today to learn how we can help you ignite your growth with innovative, psychology-driven strategies.