10 Ways to Rebrand Napping at Work
Snoozers of the world unite!
Naps get a bad rap. If you sleep too much during the day, you get tagged as “lazy” or “lethargic” or “a literal infant.”
Frankly, it’s hypocritical. Nobody thinks this way about nighttime sleeping. Sleep eight hours in the dark, and you're a responsible adult. Sleep two hours in the afternoon, and you’re unemployable.
I’m here to argue that even adults need naps. Some cultures already know this. In Mediterranean and Latin American countries, afternoon naps are a sacred break from existence. But in the American workplace, we’re not allowed to block our calendar for a siesta—even if we work from home, where our bed calls out like a Posturepedic siren.
As a notorious sleepyhead, I say that’s bogus. Some of us need an afternoon snooze to function at peak performance, and I simply can’t apologize for that! I’m too tired!
What I can do is lie about it. Over years of guilt-riddled, couch-based research, I’ve developed an entire secret system of scheduling meetings to disguise workday naps. It turns out you can use any of these to block off an afternoon, no questions asked. (Probably because your boss is napping, too.)
Personal growth session.
Private brainstorm.
Intermittent power meditation.
Subliminal performance appraisal.
Recumbent innovating.
Team undrowsing.
Post-lunch firmware refresh.
Consciousness detox.
Motivation resuscitation congregation.
Hangover.
Swathe: A Short Film
Lauren Greenwood is raising money for her directorial debut! Lauren is a very accomplished screenwriter who’s written two funny pieces for Chortle, so I’m really rooting for this project. Click here to give her some support if you can!
…And check out Lauren’s writing for Chortle!
I like to say "I need a brain break."
I used to work for a start up where the chief scientific officer would take naps on the office couch. The start up failed, and napping at work took a step back in hitting the mainstream!