Time to Recharge

How do you recharge? Not just rest, but actually getting back the energy you need for the tasks ahead. Our society can be so quick paced that we often neglect to take time out to rest, let alone really recharge. 

Obviously, we all have necessary obligations on our calendars between work and home, and some weeks our schedule can be extra hectic. But without scheduled and specific rest time, we risk getting overwhelmed and burned out. 

When we rest, we ideally want to give our brain and body a chance to be calm. We might not need to sleep, but we might really need to stop thinking about all the tasks that are still left undone. So, even if we are technically resting in a chair or bed, if our mind is still swirling with to-do lists and deadlines, then we’re not really relaxed and recharging. 

How can we actual recharge?

Check in with yourself and how you are feeling in your body, both physically and emotionally. If you are physically tired you might benefit from an hour of sitting quietly in a comfortable chair. If you feel the need to recharge your mood, then a half hour of quiet meditation could help to quiet your thoughts. Be sure to check in with yourself to make sure you are getting your own needs met. If you’re a caregiver, you might unintentionally put yourself last each day, which is causing extra stress. Think about ways you can incorporate your own self-care into each day. 

Try This

A simple creative exercise to soothe and relax a busy mind

• Find a quiet place to sit with a piece of paper and a pencil.
• If you prefer, you can play some quiet instrumental music to help soothe you. 
• Take a few deep breaths
• Gently hold your pencil and slowly draw swirling loops across the page. (Do not judge the look of it, this is a simple active meditation intended to calm your mind. The finished look of the work on paper is irrelevant.)
• When you have filled the page with loops, check in with yourself. Are you calm and relaxed enough?
• If you would like to take more time with this exercise, the next step is to shade in some of the areas created by all the swirls. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Simply, choose a space and gently shade it in with your pencil. The slow rhythmic motion of your hand along with the soft sound of the pencil on the paper is part of the active meditation to help calm your mind. 
• When you are done, you may want to write the date on the back of your paper and little comment about how you feel. 

References:

• Feeling Drained? Here are 16 Ways to Build a Recharge into Your Day
• How to recharge: tips from a Stanford wellness coach
• 5 Ways to Recharge Your Energy Anytime