With over 20 years of leadership experience, Devon Berry is well-versed in navigating the workplace. Berry most recently served as executive director at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing in Portland, Oregon.
The balance between work and life is difficult for many professionals to manage, but with the onset of the pandemic causing many to work from home for the first time, it’s never been harder. Berry believes that rest is necessary for a healthy work-life balance. Like singing and running, everyone knows how to rest, but there are ways to improve that can impact your work and life for the better.
Stop While You’re Ahead
Try to take a break or stop working when you still feel like you have a little energy left. Working long, continuous hours has been linked to burnout, stress, and lost sleep. In fact, a study by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found you’re likely to solve problems if you rest and let your subconscious work on it—the key is to have something you know you need to do next before stopping.
Take a Walk
Research by psychologists at Stanford University found that creativity was improved by those who took a walk —especially those who walked in nature. Those who walked in nature were more attentive when completing tasks than those in urban environments.
Build Your Day Around Your Energy
Rahaf Harfoush, a digital anthropologist, shared on a Ted Talk “How Burnout Makes Us Less Creative” that to combat her insomnia from overworking, she built her work around her energy levels. For instance, if you’re a morning person, front-load your hardest projects to the top of your day. Same goes if you have more resolve at the beginning of the week than at the end.
Devon Berry 