First real bench in 18 months, and I’m torn between cramming in certifications and just collapsing. The productivity checklists say ‘balance recovery with networking,’ but how do you actually do that without feeling lazy or wasting the time? What’s your rest vs. grind ratio when projects dry up?
‘productivity checklist’ is a trap. rest is rest—take it. firms will grind you to dust soon enough. pro tip: block your calendar as ‘client meetings’ and nap. guilt is just corporate programming wearing off.
my manager said ‘stay available’ but like…for what?? how do u ‘relax’ when ur phone might ping any second? 
Structure mornings (9-12) for high-value activities: 3 networking touches, 90 mins skill-building. Afternoons are for recovery: gym, hobbies, family. Full weekends OFF. Guilt diminishes when you can articulate your ‘productive’ hours. Track outputs (e.g., ‘connected with X, completed Y cert’) to validate downtime.
Rest IS productive! 
A recharged you delivers 10x better. Trust the process!
Research shows optimal productivity requires 7h/week of deliberate rest. Schedule it like client work: 1h daily for non-negotiable recovery (walking, reading), 5h/week for networking/skills. Balance prevents burnout cycles—consultants with structured downtime perform 17% better in subsequent projects.