Learn To Rest So Well It Makes You Dangerous

The most disciplined warriors in history — the Samurai — trained with the sword, but also with silence, poetry, and stillness.

It wasn’t laziness. It was strategy.

They understood something we’ve forgotten:

True power isn’t about pushing all the time. It’s knowing when to stop.

Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity — it’s what sharpens it.

Today, I want to share how to rest intentionally so it boosts your focus, your creativity, your emotional resilience — and yes, even your output.

Because let’s be honest: Most of us don’t rest. We just stop working and start scrolling.

We don’t recover — we numb. And then we wonder why we feel flat, anxious, or exhausted.

The truth is:

Rest is a skill. A practice. One that needs to be protected, not postponed.

You’re Built for Rhythms — Not Constant Grind

Inside your body, you have a natural rhythm — your circadian rhythm — that controls your alertness throughout the day. It rises in the morning, dips in the early afternoon, and rises again in the evening. But we ignore it. We override it with caffeine, back-to-back meetings, doomscrolling, and late-night Netflix.

And then we punish ourselves for “losing focus.”

This is the first mistake. Rest isn’t a flaw in the system — it’s part of it.

Your Brain Never Really Rests — And That’s a Good Thing

Even when you’re not “doing,” your brain isn’t idle. It enters what’s called the Default Mode Network (DMN).

It’s responsible for: • Insight • Emotional processing • Memory consolidation • Sense of self

So when you’re lying on the couch doing “nothing,” you’re actually integrating. That’s not wasted time. It’s where a lot of internal work happens.

Nap Like Churchill

Writers like Haruki Murakami, scientists like Linus Pauling, and even Winston Churchill all had one thing in common: They napped.

Not 2-hour marathons. Just 15–20 minutes — usually after lunch, when your alertness dips.

I’ve been doing this too. With 3 kids, I often nap right after lunch with the youngest one. Sometimes I don’t even fall asleep — I just lie down and do a calming breathwork session or a body scan. Either way, it works.

Even non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) mimics the same brainwave patterns as a nap. Studies show it enhances creativity, energy, and focus.

Walk More

It’s free. It’s effective. And you’re probably not doing enough of it.

Some of the greatest thinkers — Thomas Jefferson, C.S. Lewis, even modern CEOs — used walking as part of their daily thinking practice.

Creativity increased by up to 60% during walking vs. sitting, according to a study by Opezzo and Schwartz.

I use walks not just to recharge, but to generate ideas — many of my best newsletter topics and YouTube scripts start with a walk and a pocket notebook.

Inside or outside, it doesn’t matter. Just move.

Timing Is Everything: Match the Task to the Rhythm

Focus requires inhibition — the ability to block distractions.

And guess what? Inhibition is highest when your energy is high.

So: • Morning / late afternoon = best for deep focus. • Early afternoon = best for creativity and looser thinking. • Evening = best for slowing down.

This isn’t about motivation. It’s about biochemistry.

Sleep Is the King of Recovery

No hacks here. Just a reminder: • Sleep helps you remember, solve problems, repair your body, and regulate emotions. • Sleep deprivation ruins all of the above.

Want to make it better? • Go to bed at the same time. • Leave your phone outside the room. • Wind down with no screens for at least 30–60 minutes. • Don’t train too hard too late (exercise within 4 hours of bed reduces sleep quality).

Even better: Use bedtime to prime your brain. Linus Pauling and others used the moments before sleep to hold a problem in mind, often waking up with the answer. I used to do the same for math problems as a kid. Worked like magic.

Exercise Gives More Energy Than It Takes

Let’s bust this myth: “I don’t have the energy to exercise.”

Wrong order. You exercise to gain energy. To build a higher baseline of resilience, creativity, and focus.

A 20-year study of top scientists found something surprising: The most successful ones (Nobel Prize-winners, etc.) weren’t just smart — they were active. Many kept up physical activity into old age.

If you want to be sharper, move more.

Personally, I train early in the morning around 5 am while my kids are still asleep. That energy carries into my day. And it lets me justify my midday naps, walks, and rest — because I know my body’s running on full charge.

Learn to Breathe Better

Breathing is a direct connection to your autonomic nervous system and your mental state. You need to be calm? There's a breathing pattern you can do (try coherence or 4-7-8 breathing). Do you need more energy and motivation? Do vigorous breathing for 30 seconds (or apply the Hormesis Method).