Everyone is trying to do more and more work in the same amount of time. The quantity of activities we are engaged in is an ever increasing number. We go from one task to another. The separation of work and home to do’s is only transportation and that is sometimes not even the case with a home office being utilized much more frequently.
My question is where does resilience fit in?
How do we recharge ourselves?
Too many people think I will be able to rest once I get this one more to do completed. Others say, it is only one night and I can stay up until 3am to finish the work. Still others think what is the big deal if I work late for the next couple of weeks?
I am here to tell you, it is a big deal and your level of productivity suffers every time you fail to charge your batteries.
Many people think if I switch tasks that will help me recover. It is just that I have to get this marketing plan completed and then I can move on because my major priority is done.
Others believe stopping one project and moving to another or just stopping work will lead to recovery.
NO WAY!
The more you have worked the more time you will need for recovery.
Another falsehood that has become ingrained into our way of thinking- Stopping=Recovery
Plus
Rest=Recovery
So now the question becomes…
How do you recover?
You need periods of relaxation at work. Spur of the moment breaks can be great for resiliency. Shifting from one task to another which utilizes another part of your brain or even requires a different physical endeavor works as well.
The other part of recovery takes place away from work during vacations, days off, holidays or weekends. No talking about work nor looking at emails nor utilizing technology regularly. Do something different then your regular routine to clear your mind and body. I have found that water is an awesome way to clear your head and body too at the same time. Massage works as well and I have the messuese focus on my head which is where lots of my stress and anxiety reside. Smells from food and fragrances from flowers clear my whole being as well. The objective of recovery is to get your being back in balance or in alignment.
Keys to Resilience
- Step 1: Work really hard and then stop
- Step 2: Recover
The feeling after the recovery is rejuvenation and then you are ready to be your best again.
Anything less means your recovery was not long enough or your methods for recovery need altering.
Resilience is required more today than ever before.
