A Productivity Hack You Can Do In Your Sleep
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You’re a busy pastor (or another busy person). Me, too!
In my case, to add a level of difficulty, I’m not a high-energy person by nature. So in order to get everything done that I want to do, I have to use every hack I can find.
Here’s one that I’ve found and used myself. It works.
However, it may not be what you expect. In fact, it is – a nap.
Take me seriously! Science shows “napping is particularly great for alertness, learning, memory, and performance.”[i]
I know, I know – you’re too busy to nap. You’re not alone in your opinion that you can’t take time to sleep. The National Sleep Foundation website states, "As a nation, the United States seems to be getting more and more sleep-deprived". In fact, nearly a third of Americans report they aren’t getting enough shut-eye.[ii]
Lifestyle choices and the social stigmas attached to napping (yes, there are some) prevent many from seriously considering the proven benefits of napping.[iii]
Naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100%.
Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours later in the day.
Napping has psychological benefits. A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.
There’s more than one type of nap:
Power nap – a 10 to 30-minute sleep session between 1 pm and 4 pm
Ultra-short sleep episodes – a 6-minute nap scientifically demonstrated to improve certain forms of memory
Longer naps – both 60-minute and even 90-minute naps boast their own particular benefits
The bottom line for busy pastors (and other busy people like me): you must take care of yourself to function at your best. One really simple way to do that: take a short nap.
You will be joining some great nappers from history: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and George W. Bush.
The Apostle Peter’s historical insight that God’s work included the gentiles came to him in a mid-day nap (Acts 10).
Jesus – often awake when others slept – also expressed his faith in the opposite fashion – napping while others toiled and worried! (Matthew 8:24 for one example.)
So don’t be shocked to learn that on occasion I close my eyes for a few minutes during a busy afternoon. It’s the productivity hack I can do in my sleep! So can you.
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[i] https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-behind-power-naps-and-why-theyre-so-damne-1401366016
[ii] https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-behind-power-naps-and-why-theyre-so-damne-1401366016
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