Prioritize Your Rest and Stop Feeling Guilty About It!

I’ve been a hard worker my whole life, and I rarely ever rested in my youth.

I stayed busy no matter what for the majority of my life. In school, I was always outside, riding my bike, going on a make-believe discovery for miles and miles through the woods and down the train tracks.

I would ride my bike for miles to school, friends' houses, and newly discovered places. I landed my first job at 16 when many kids my age were only thinking about their grades, going to parties, and staying out of trouble. My first job was Burger King and I would wake up for school around 6:30 am to make it to school by 7:30 am till 3 pm and be at work by 4 pm till I got off at 10:30 to 11 pm. Then I would start things all over again. Same schedule. I would work on music on my days off and have many people from the neighborhood working on music with me in my makeshift bedroom studio

At 17, I got my own apartment and paid the bills all on my own. It was my senior year in high school. I had 2–3 classes starting at 11 am to 2 or 3 pm before getting how to be social and work on music until I would have to drive 5 miles to work at a casino as a busser, waiter, and cashier from 6 pm to 1 am on some nights and 10 pm to 6 am on other nights. At one time, I even worked 2 jobs while still going to school as a high school senior. A job working at a smoothie shop in the mall for the daytime and at the casino at night.

At 18, I started working offshore on an oil rig miles away from land deep into the Gulf of Mexico. I would drive for 2–4 hrs to a helicopter location where I would then fly into the Gulf of Mexico for 1–2 hrs to work 10–12 hr shifts without going home for 6 weeks at a time before going home for 1-2 weeks to see my friends and try to catch up on some relaxation before doing it all over again.

In my 20s, I worked as a waiter. Sometimes 2 shifts. 10–14 hrs per day. Always on my feet. Over 10–15 years working on my feet.

I then went into the office life, working a 9 –10 as I got closer to my 30s. 9–5 most of the time, but sometimes I would have to get to the office 2–3 hrs earlier before office hours because of logistical reasons.

I never rested properly in my youth. After my wife and I had our child Sahara, I finally grew to know and understand the importance of caffeine. I finally, for the first time, realized the importance of getting proper rest. The late nights with the baby really drained out my battery like I never felt before. I was in my mid-30s when we had Sahara. We didn’t put her into preschool until she was about 2 years old.

I can go on and on about how I never rested properly in my youth but let me cut straight to the meat of this story. I have absolutely no guilt about fighting for my rest or my peace of mind. Furthermore, I grab every free hour that I possibly can to get some rest these days. I don’t think twice. Without getting rest or stealing a nap here or there — I can get very irritable. And I am a super peaceful and nice guy — so, me being irritable is like a beast with gasoline for blood and fire for skin, lol.

If I can squeeze in a nap before a meeting or before work demands me — I will 100% take it. I have absolutely no shame or guilt about it. I will not stress myself out and break my mind for anything.

Napping during the day can be a wonderful tool for maintaining mental wellness. It is important to take time for oneself to recharge, but many people are made to feel guilty for taking time for themselves. Naps are proven to help revitalize the mind after periods of high stress. A short nap will make you more productive by helping your mind work on more complex tasks. Allowing yourself this time can also be beneficial in aiding recuperation from illness or injury.

Research has shown that taking a nap boosts memory and promotes creativity. It also helps to combat sleep deprivation, which is a common problem in today’s society. The idea of “no naps” is a myth propagated by social media influencers, and it should be disregarded because napping is key in maintaining a healthy mind.

Many great people, including Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein, have credited the benefits of napping to their success. Those who take naps are more productive and creative, which has pushed many Americans to adopt this practice.

Napping is a natural activity that can help us become more alert, pay attention better, learn new skills more easily, be happier and less stressed out. It’s important to take time for ourselves every day in order to recharge our batteries.

I must admit that taking naps and stealing every minute of rest that I can, has made my mind feel much younger and has restored the creativity that I once had in my early 20s.

It’s a well-known fact that entrepreneurs are some of the hardest workers in the world. Starting a company from nothing, going without sleep — these tasks can be difficult for anyone to accomplish. Rather than trying to power through these tasks, entrepreneurs should take time to rest and take short naps. These activities help you stay productive and focused on your work. Several studies have shown that resting properly and taking naps improve productivity and focus among entrepreneurs. For many people, the goal of being an entrepreneur is to make more money while having the freedom to live their lives on their own terms. However, doing so requires a lot of focus that can be difficult for some to maintain without sacrificing their well-being. The key to finding balance in this situation is by taking time off and resting properly when needed, as well as taking naps.

No matter how much you do or how hard you work, it’s not ever enough. Every day is just as chaotic as the last one- more people, more problems to solve. You never get a break, and there’s no off-season. We’re expected to keep on going as if we were machines- and sometimes we forget that we’re human beings too with needs and desires of our own.

Have you ever found yourself feeling irritable all the time or angry all the time? If so, it might be time for you to take naps more seriously. People who are not sleeping enough are 3x more likely to be angry and 2x more likely to feel frustrated than those with a proper sleep schedule. For improved mood and productivity, sleeping enough is key!

My advice is to:

1. Delegate as much as you can
2. Space out your schedule as much as you can so nothing is hour to hour.
3. Remove activities from your schedule that do not add to your happiness or daily calm.
4. Set timers for yourself to catch up on well-deserved rest. 15 mins, 30 mins, 1 hr, 2 hrs, 3 hrs. This adds up when you calculate your monthly rest and recovery time.
5. Find a way to work in a more relaxed environment. Maybe via your iPad on the sofa or laptop in the dining room or outside. If it's a relaxing place, try working in that spot for at least 50% of the time.
6. Don't let anyone stop you or make you feel guilty or lesser than for getting the rest you want and deserve.
7. Don’t let your rest harm your revenue. If you can manage to earn more while working less — this is the real goal. To do this, you must know how to delegate, and you must know how to identify smart people who can help take on responsibilities within your business or work life.

I wanted to write this story because I rarely ever see stories or advice like this promoted. It's time for us to embrace rest and restore our minds. We fight for everything but our peace of mind.