Power naps are the secret ingredient of many top performers throughout the world and through out history. Lazy people also nap, and lay around a great deal, so there is much confusion about what constitutes a power nap and where you cross the line to a low-performing sloth monkey. (I’ve seen sloth monkeys up close in the amazon, they’re not appealing or cute)
Definition: Power Naps are short, strategic breaks between 5-30 minutes long, which break up a long stretch of work and refresh you for the second half of your day.
(Anything over 60 minutes and you start to get into a deeper sleep which is harder to wake up from, thus leaving you groggy and resetting your circadian clock)
The work world has always shunned those who nap, but the science is rock solid. Memory, performance, attention, all improve with short naps.
Is it possible that you could find a way to take a nap, just close your eyes for 5-30 minutes a couple days a week in order to be a better, more refreshed version of yourself?
As the CEO of the Rescue Mission, I’ve made no bones about the fact that at least a couple days a week I will close my door for 20 minutes and rest during my lunch hour. On those days I feel 100% better and have much a much more productive afternoon. Interestingly, I always receive a fair dose of playful teasing about it, so I can imagine what would happen to those who aren’t in charge of their work environment.
Can you benefit from a short nap a couple days a week? If you are a Rescue Mission team member, do you feel you have the freedom to do what you need to do to keep your performance at a high level?
David Curry
