Too Busy to Rest? That’s When You Need It Most

"Meditate one hour per day, unless you are busy—then meditate two hours." I recently came across this famous quote, and while it confused me at first, its meaning soon became clear. It highlights a paradox: the busier we are, the more we actually need time for reflection and relaxation to maintain productivity and well-being—even though time is what we feel we have the least of.

The message is simple but profound—when you feel like you can't afford to meditate, that's exactly when you need it most. 

This quote can be interpreted in two ways: first, as a reminder to strike a balance between being busy and making time for rest and recharge; second, as a sign that if you're spending too much time resting and reflecting, it might be time to take more action toward your goals.

Let’s look at the first scenario. How often do we say, "I just don’t have time to rest?"

When you hear yourself saying that, it’s a red flag—a signal that now, more than ever, you need to step back and recharge. Brené Brown captures this well in The Gifts of Imperfection, writing, "Rest and play are as important as nutrition and exercise." We often get so caught up in chasing our dreams and working toward our goals that we forget how essential rest and play are to our overall well-being.

During my years working in the corporate world, especially in my early days as a consultant in New York, I constantly heard people say, "There’s no time to rest." While it may have been true that time was scarce, we overlooked how crucial rest was for our productivity. Without it, progress toward our goals became less effective. In economics, there’s a concept known as "diminishing returns"—the more time you put into work without taking breaks, the less productive you become.

Reflecting on those long work hours, I realized that while it might have appeared to outsiders that we were getting a lot done, the reality was quite the opposite. After a certain point, our output became minimal. I would have much preferred to leave at a reasonable time, get a good night’s sleep, and return to work refreshed the next day. But instead we pushed through, and each time those intense work periods ended, my body would crash. This could have been avoided if we had valued rest as part of our routine.

On the flip side, this quote can also be a call for action when you find yourself resting too much. If you have excessive downtime or spend too much time reflecting without taking meaningful steps toward your goals, it could be a sign that you're avoiding action. There’s a fine line between necessary rest and overindulgence in reflection that can keep you from moving forward.

So, ask yourself, Do you feel like you don’t have time to rest? If so, take it as a sign that you need to.

Or are you spending too much time resting and reflecting without taking action? If that's the case, it’s time to shift gears and start making progress toward your goals.