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

The world teaches us that long hours are inevitable and inescapable,

Translator: Diego Rodríguez Vila Reviewer: Mario Cal

O mundo ensínanos que as horas extra son inevitables e ineludibles,

that overwork is a badge of honor and resting is a weakness.

que o sobreesforzo é un distintivo e o descanso, unha debilidade.

Super successful people rise and grind, are always on and never stop.

A xente superexitosa bótalle horas, sempre está choiando e nunca para.

Deep down, we know this is unhealthy and unsustainable.

No fondo, sabemos que isto non é nin san nin sostible.

But is there an alternative?

Mais hai alternativa?

[The Way We Work]

[A maneira en que traballamos]

Downtime is deeply undervalued in today's 24/7 world,

O tempo de descanso infravalórase moito no noso frenético mundo,

but it hasn't always been this way.

pero non sempre foi así.

Virtually every ancient society

Practicamente todas as sociedades antigas

defined the good life as balancing work and rest,

definían a boa vida como o equilibrio entre traballo e descanso

and recent research in neuroscience and psychology

e algúns estudos recentes de neurociencia e psicoloxía

has shown that rest strengthens our brains,

amosaron que o repouso fortalece o noso cerebro,

enhances our learning and stimulates our creativity.

mellora a nosa aprendizaxe e estimula a nosa creatividade.

History's most accomplished scientists,

Os científicos, escritores e lideres militares máis consumados da historia

writers and military leaders worked far fewer hours than we do today

traballaban moitas menos horas ca nós hoxe en día

and built daily routines full of downtime.

e elaboraban rutinas diarias inzadas de descansos.

People like naturalist Charles Darwin and geneticist Barbara McClintock,

Persoas como o naturalista Charles Darwin ou a xenetista Barbara McClintock,

who both took daily walks,

que paseaban a diario,

knew that work and rest are not opposites,

sabían que o traballo e o repouso non son opostos,

they are partners.

son complementarios.

You won't fully flourish until you can master both.

Non prosperarás ata que non domines ambos.

Here's where you can start.

Velaquí onde podes comezar:

First, rethink what rest is.

Primeiro, reflexiona sobre que é o repouso.

Getting enough sleep at night is key,

Durmir abondo á noite é clave,

and 20-minute naps are wonderful for a boost.

e as sestas de 20 minutos son vigorizantes xeniais.

But when it comes to taking downtime in the day,

Mais se falamos de descansar ao longo do día,

the most restorative rest isn't found on a couch or in front of a screen.

o máis reparador non se atopa nun sofá ou fronte a unha pantalla

The best rest is active:

O mellor descanso é activo:

exercise, hobbies, walks.

exercicio, hobbies, paseos.

These recharge our mental and physical batteries more effectively

Así recargamos as pilas físicas e mentais de xeito máis efectivo

and give us more stamina and resilience than being a couch potato.

e obtemos máis enerxía e aguante ca se nos estomballamos no sofá.

Rest is natural, but it's also a skill.

O descanso é natural, mais tamén é unha destreza.

It's something we can practice and improve over time.

É algo que practicamos e melloramos co tempo.

Just as athletes, singers and Buddhist monks use breathing

Así como atletas, cantantes ou monxes budistas usan a respiración

to run faster, project their voices and calm their minds,

para correren máis rápido, proxectaren a voz ou calmaren a mente,

we can use rest to boost our creativity and recovery.

nós usaremos o descanso para impulsar a nosa creatividade e recuperación.

Second, integrate it into your daily work.

Segundo, intégrao no teu traballo cotián.

Athletes get the best results combining intensive training and recovery.

Os atletas obteñen os mellores resultados combinando adestramento e recuperación.

Likewise, creative people should layer periods of distraction-free, deep work

Igualmente, a xente creativa debería intercalar períodos sen distraccións

with periods of deliberate rest.

con períodos de descanso consciente.

So design a routine that lets you focus and get into flow

Daquela, deseña unha rutina que che permita enfocarte e concentrarte

for four or five hours a day, every day.

durante catro ou cinco horas ao día, cada día.

Make those periods more intensive, not longer,

Fai que estes períodos sexan intensos, non longos,

by killing distractions.

evitando as distraccións.

Give yourself permission to turn off email and messages

Permítete desconectar do correo electrónico e das mensaxes

and concentrate on what matters.

e concéntrate no importante.

And then, if you have the flexibility,

E despois, se es flexible,

give yourself a nice, long, active break.

agasállate cun bo descanso activo.

It will give your creative subconscious a chance to work on unsolved problems

Permitiralle ao teu subconsciente remoer en problemas por resolver

while you recover

mentres te recuperas

and generate those insights and aha moments

e acadar eses momentos de lucidez e de berrar "eureka"

that turn good ideas into breakthroughs.

nos que se pasa de boas ideas a grandes descubrimentos.

And if you don't have that flexibility,

E se non es tan flexible,

find a way to make sure that when you're off from work

busca a maneira de asegurar que cando deixes de traballar

that you apply these same principles to at least part of your downtime.

apliques estes principios polo menos a unha parte do teu tempo de descanso.

Third, tap into deep play.

Terceiro, mergúllate no lecer.

Creative, passionate people need breaks from their work,

A xente creativa e apaixonada precisa descansos do seu labor,

but those breaks have to be just as compelling as their work

mais estes deben ser tan estimulantes como o seu traballo

or they won't take them.

ou se non, non os farían.

Many scientists and CEOs are amateur painters,

Moitos científicos e empresarios son pintores,

musicians or chefs on the side.

músicos ou chefs aficionados.

These are hobbies that provide the same sense of accomplishment,

Estes pasatempos achegan a mesma sensación de realización,

control, mastery and flow that they get when work goes really well,

control, mestría e fluidez que senten cando lles vai ben o traballo,

but in a different environment and with a clear, quick reward.

mais nun medio diferente e cunha recompensa rápida e clara.

Often, their interests date from childhood,

A miúdo, conservan estes intereses desde a infancia,

which makes them even more meaningful.

polo que son aínda máis significativos.

So embrace an activity that makes you feel alive and involved in the world.

Así que persigue unha actividade que te revitalice e te involucre no mundo.

It's not a distraction.

Non é unha distracción.

It'll give you new experiences and the same pleasures

Darache novas experiencias e os mesmos praceres

and rewards as work at its best,

e recompensas ca o mellor dos traballos,

Without the compromises or ambiguities that often cloud things.

sen os compromisos e as ambigüidades que adoitan turban as cousas.

Fourth, make rest social.

Cuarto, converte o descanso en algo social.

The working world isn't designed for rest.

O mundo laboral non foi deseñado para o descanso.

We have to take it.

Temos que conseguilo nós.

And one of the most powerful ways to guarantee that we make time for rest

Unha das maneiras máis poderosas para garantirmos tempo para o repouso

is to do it with others.

é facelo en conxunto.

So start work early

Así que traballa cedo

and meet a colleague for a walk in the afternoon.

e vai pasear cunha compañeira pola tarde.

Or team up with your partner to perform a tea ceremony.

Ou xúntate cun socio para terdes unha cerimonia de té.

Or make a childcare-swapping arrangement with a friend

Ou fai quendas cun amigo para coidardes dos fillos

to give you both more time for rest.

para terdes máis tempo de descanso.

Remember, it's not easy for busy, highly driven people to rest.

Recorda que para a xente ocupada e ultramotivada non é fácil descansar.

It requires developing new practices and giving them time to become habits.

Cómpre desenvolver novas prácticas e darlles tempo a que se volvan hábitos.

You can't rush it.

Non hai que apurar.

Just as it takes time to settle into a new job or home,

Igual que a ti che leva tempo mudarte ou comezar nun traballo,

your mind needs time to start harnessing the power of rest.

a túa mente precisa tempo para aproveitar o poder do repouso.

Don't beat yourself up if you aren't already doing anything like this.

Non te fustigues se aínda non fas nada parecido a todo isto.

There's no better time to start than now.

Non che hai mellor momento para comezares que agora.