Let’s Try This: The American Siesta

I don’t know about you, but at about 3pm every day, I’m prone to yawning and rubbing my eyes. That’s right. I GET TIRED. And what I need, ladies and gentleman, is a siesta.

Why is it that only the Spanish culture realizes that it is natural for the human body to get tired in the early afternoon? The siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, most often after lunch, and is implemented in many Latin American countries. So why the hell isn’t it in ours!

Instead of ingesting more coffee, I propose this for all of us who share the same feelings: let’s all just take a nap!

The last time it was socially acceptable to nap in public was in kindergarten, and I bet you I even had a little guilt that I wasn’t coloring or building blocks. Because even at an early age, we are trained to be workaholics, and now, probably can’t fathom the thought of even spending a half hour away from our desks for a nap (let alone a lunch break!). But sometimes, we might come back stronger if we’re more rested.

So why not adopt the Spanish tradition, and start taking mid-day naps? If I owned a company, I’d build a break room with pillows and blankets and an alarm clock. By word-of-mouth, it would be the cool company to work for because of what we’d call, “A Nap Break.” I’d imagine the company would be pretty successful just because of that perk alone. (Ok maybe “successful” in “the recruiting of employees sense.” Time would tell if the productivity level was where it needed to be…but that's beside the point..)

So yes, I think that we should all approach our bosses with the proposal of the American siesta. I’d start writing the proposal now, but this post is getting me so tired, I’m going to go take a siesta.