I admit it!  I’ve been taking power naps since I was in college.  A power nap in my world is fifteen minutes or less; I do set an alarm although I usually awake before the time I set.  The power of napping has been known by many leaders including Thomas Edison, John F. Kennedy, Stonewall Jackson, Ronald Reagan, Salvador Dali and my Dad!  My dad used naps on the couch as his way to change from being the principal to being the husband/father/yardman when he came home.

 

Traveling alone, I learned that pulling over at a busy rest stop and grabbing a quick nap made me a much sharper driver.  Over time, I discovered that napping was also like rebooting a computer – it helped clear out the junk that was in the recycle bin of my mind.  Other tips for napping at work:

  • Putting your head down on a glass table top isn’t pretty – think drool and flat face.
  • If you haven’t warned your staff about your habit, then remarks that could work are: “I was meditating”, “I was contemplating a problem”, “The office light was bothering my eyes.”
  • Snoring usually doesn’t wake you up, but others do hear it.
  • Turning on a Podcast or Webinar for background noise – others will think you really are working.
  • Asking “where the corporate nap room is?” on a job interview is probably not a good idea.

All kidding aside, science has proven that naps do work, refresh our spirit and minds, increase productivity and adjust our attitude.  Check out Tips for Great Naps and Power Naps.

 

“Nature has not intended mankind to work from eight in the morning until midnight without that refreshment of blessed oblivion which, even if it only lasts twenty minutes, is sufficient to renew all the vital forces.”  – Sir Winston Churchill

 

May the Nap be with you!