“I’m convinced that if all of the world’s leaders took a nap every afternoon, the world would be a better place.” – me

I was watching my 2 year old nephew, Declan, and it got me thinking about the naps that most small children take.  If Declan, like most children, doesn’t get his nap, he gets cranky, irritable, and not fun to be around.  They even have nap time in pre-school where all the kids take a nap at the same time.  What I find interesting, though, is that for some reason, we don’t think this applies to adults.  We think that we don’t have time for naps; that somehow as we get older, our body doesn’t need the rest.

This idea seems completely contrary to the natural rhythm of the world.  If you watch animals in the wild or in your home, they rest a lot.  My cats, for example, seem to have made an Olympic sport out of sleeping in sunbeams.  We can stay in the human realm as well, though.  Think about the Spanish and Latin American custom of the siesta – a culturally enforced community-wide rest period during the business day.  There is already a lot of napping going around.

Current American culture is toying with the idea of napping, but it hasn’t really grasped it wholeheartedly.  I’m going to encourage you to start taking naps this week, even if you think it’s silly.  You don’t even have to lie down.  Simply find a comfortable chair, put you head back, and close your eyes for 15 minutes.  That’s all, only 15 minutes (it’s just a quick power nap – which is a great oxymoron if you think about it).  You can even set the alarm clock on your cell phone so you don’t sleep too long.

The first few times you try this you probably won’t fall asleep (although if you try this right after lunch, you’ll find it a lot easier).  Even though you might think that you don’t have 15 minutes to spare, you’ll be amazed at how you make up that time through increased productivity and concentration, more energy, and less stress.  You’ll even find that you are less cranky and irritable.  There is power in resting  – I encourage you to find it.