Earlier this week as I sat up to late with my computer, my husband walked into the room and said “You know, lack of sleep has been linked to brain damage.”
Nothing like the threat of brain damage to make you realize the importance of rest. And it turns out he wasn’t joking. As Forbes reported “a study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience found that staying awake too long destroys brain cells in mice, and may do the same in humans. It’s the first study to show (if only in animals) that sleep loss can lead to irreversible brain cell damage.”
That coincides a recent Scientific American article that states “Research on naps, meditation, nature walks and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes reveals how mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity.”
So as a leader, you have two responsibilities:
1) Get enough rest so that you can lead well
2) Push your team to do the same
Need some advice on how to make it work? Check out this blog from HBR.