The everyday challenges and demands we all face can easily leave us feeling overwhelmed. Giving ourselves time to recover is essential to our resilience. But when we’re already drained, this can seem an impossible task. So, here we provide a few tips on how to take time to recover and boosting wellbeing.
Why do we need time to recover?
The demands of work and life increasingly push us into a chronic state of high alert. The normal activities that help us to manage stress and recover are often left on the backburner as we attempt to carry on regardless.
When we are constantly juggling multiple demands, we need time to recover, to switch off the seemingly constant pressures and demands and create a better balance in our lives. We need to give ourselves time to rebuild our emotional resources so we are ready to take on the next set of challenges.
How to make time to recover
Recovery is achieved through attending to our own self-care.
It is about stepping back from activities that drain or deplete us emotionally and making time to engage in nourishing activities.
We may do this in brief bursts throughout the day, boosting our wellbeing when we feel it is flagging. Or we can schedule time for activities that we know will contribute to improved self-care and wellbeing.
Brief recovery
Try taking brief recovery breaks when you notice you are becoming fatigued or losing concentration. This might include:
Doing something physical: go for a walk; take a stretch; try controlled breathing or a relaxation exercise; or do something mindfully.
Using your brain differently: switch the type of task you are doing; do something mundane that uses little mental effort, a crossword or a puzzle, read the news or listen to a podcast.
Building positive emotions: talk to a colleague; notice what is good or going well; watch something funny; or do something you are interested in.
Brief recovery does not have to take long, sometimes just a few minutes can help to recharge and refocus.
Scheduled recovery
Scheduling time to do the things that you love doing is key to making them happen. Typical scheduled recovery includes time to rest, time for recreation and time for our relationships:
Taking time to rest: taking a bath; listening to music; enjoying the moment; being mindful.
Doing something fun: playing sport, tending the garden, going to the cinema, engaging in a hobby or interest that gets you in the ‘zone’.
Spending time with friends and family: being with others who we care about and who care about us is essential to our emotional wellbeing.
Remember, self-care is all about giving ourselves nourishment and this is key to recovery. Imagine going to the gym to get fit. The time at the gym where you challenge your muscles is important But it is during the the time away from the gym when you take in nutrients and your muscles have time to recover that they actually will grow.
In the same way time spent looking after ourselves will make us fit and prepare us to face new challenges.
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