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Deliberate Recovery — Improve Your Skill Development by Taking a Rest
Sometimes a nap can be more productive than a run
Even Olympic athletes don’t practise nonstop. They carefully alternate between periods of intense exercise and intense relaxation. When they are not practising, they are resting deliberately, getting ready for the next session.
And the more intensely you practice, the better you need to be at relaxing. By taking care of your body and mind, you recover faster and can start the next quality practice session in less time.
Practise is most effective when the body and mind are rested
When you are rested, it is easier to stay fully focused and give your full effort. This means that you are more likely to practice close to your current limits of performance. Only when you are close to your current capabilities are you able to push your skills to a higher level.
The hours that you can stay entirely focused during a day are limited, due to the high energy demand of such activities. It is therefore essential to spend the hours when you can pay full attention and give full effort, intelligently.
