It’s a grey, rainy day out. The perfect weather for curling up on the couch with a good book. That’s exactly what I want to do right now, take a break, tune out, and rest. Isn’t that what a work-life balance is all about?

But herein lies the rub. In our world and society, ‘rest’ has become somewhat of a dirty word. We often talk about work-life balance but in reality, it’s more work, work, work, with no downtime.

How did this happen? How did we become a 24/7 culture that celebrates endless hours of work, insanely busy lives, and the constant hustle? It often feels like we live in a country with zero work-life balance.

I get the value of hard work, discipline, and dedication. It’s how I got my blog off the ground while working fulltime as a TV producer. And I understand why the entrepreneurial spirit is celebrated in this country. Americans have always had the ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ mentality and that grit is a big part of what leads to success.

But I also believe in finding a work-life balance, so I want to make an argument for carving out time in our schedules for rest. And if you don’t think it’s important to have this unstructured time, what if I told you that purposely scheduling downtime will not only improve your wellbeing but also your creativity?

Why a Work-Life Balance and Rest are Beneficial

Rest is integral to a balanced life. Our bodies and minds need time to recharge. When we create space for a w0rk-life balance and allow ourselves the space to decompress, we often have your best ideas and most creative thoughts.

It’s kind of like that aha moment we’ve all had in the shower. It’s not an accident that some of our most inspired ideas happen when we’re standing under the hot water.

But don’t take my word for it. There is science to back this up.

When our mind is not engaged in completing a task and we allow it to daydream, it relaxes the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls our behavior and decisions. It also puts our brain into a default mode, which lets the unconscious communicate with other areas of the brain and spark creative ideas (or lightbulb moments) that our conscious mind would otherwise dismiss.

And all you have to do for your moment of enlightenment is chill out or jump in the shower. Pretty cool, right?

The bottom line here is we need to carve out a work-life balance in our schedule if we want to reap the benefits that rest, play, and unstructured time can give to us.

Say Yes To Downtime

So the next time a friend asks you to take a walk in the park, say yes. When your partner wants to spend a morning snuggling in bed, say yes. The next time you want to curl up on the couch and read a good book, say yes. When you yearn to take a restorative yoga class, do it. And the next time your kids just want to play with you, stop whatever it is you’re doing, and say yes.

I guarantee that if you say yes to rest, rejuvenation, and a work-life balance, it will not be time wasted.

Let go of the to-do list and give your body, mind, and soul the break it needs. The results will give you infinitely more than the constant pushing, striving, and running on the hamster wheel will ever give you.

Sometimes the key to getting ahead is slowing down. So if you want to find that creative spark, take some downtime. Who knows? You might just have a lightbulb moment that changes the world.

Now I’d love to hear from you.

How do you handle work-life balance?

Do you prioritize downtime? And when do you have your most creative thoughts?

Please comment below! And for more ideas to create a balanced life, check out these wellness tips.