(First appeared in WRAL TechWire.)

We all have unique personalities and traits that make us stand out from one another. In times of war and peace, certain qualities are more valuable than others, and people who exhibit specific traits tend to thrive more in one environment than the other.

This came to light for me a few weeks ago, during my time off last month. While I was enjoying sinking into some intentional rest and restoration, I also felt… well, rest-LESS. I lost sleep, my mind was racing, and I was itching to turn my pace up by a notch or ten.

After chatting with a colleague about this over coffee, he wisely said, “That’s because you’re built for wartime. You don’t know what to do with yourself during peacetime.”

And just like that, the puzzle pieces started to click into place for me. He was right; I needed more active rest to meet my wartime energy. So I went bird watching, visited museums and engaged in low-pressure vision planning...