Soul search and find out what you can do to recharge in different time increments – because you won’t always have time to be on a vacation recharging!
Figure out how you can recharge in a short period of time, like 5 minutes. Sometimes, you just don’t have time to have that nice long bath or read a book while you leisurely sip your coffee. Though it always sounds grand, it’s better to think ahead.
How can you recharge in 5 minutes? 10 minutes? 1 hour? Half a day?
Make a list with times for yourself so that you can quickly get yourself out of a bind and put your mind in a better place with the time that you have. Make sure you come up with things that can be done while you’re out AND while you’re at home. If you only have things you can do at home on your list, then you might struggle to calm and recharge yourself while you’re out!
As you feel your stress build up, check your list. Remind yourself of what’s on it so that you can recharge when you need to, in the amount of time that you have. It’s no use knowing that a soothing bath will make you feel great if it also will take an hour or so before you start to enjoy the effect of it. If you only have 10 minutes between your tasks or stressors, you don’t have enough time to have a bath, which can cause further stress just thinking about relaxing. The task of relaxing then becomes a big chore.
Breaking down your breaks and recharge sessions will help you get back to whatever important tasks you need to do, while also providing you with the tools you need in order to be resilient enough to make it through those important tasks.
Examples of 5 minute recharge sessions
- Blast your favourite song (in the house, car, or even on your ear buds) tune out the world for the whole duration of the song!
- Read a favourite poem or short story
- Wash your face and apply some soothing moisturizer
- Text or email a friend and tell them how great you think they are
- Practice slow breathing, like box breathing and other breathing techniques
- Read through some affirmations to remind yourself how amazing you are!
Examples of 10 minute recharge sessions
- Spend 10 minutes working on your favourite craft project
- Read a great book for 10 minutes
- Make yourself a fancy coffee or tea and just sip it slowly
- Look through old photos
- Write out your thoughts as a brain dump, or write about your favourite memories
- Find a sunny spot to sit, preferably outside, but inside can do when it’s cold out
- Set a timer, play some old dance songs you love, and dance away!
- Try meditation. Use your smart device to guide you through a short session
Examples for when you have more time
If you have more time to recharge, spend 30-60 minutes outside on a walk. If you know of somewhere that you can hike and get into nature, it’s a fantastic way to recharge – even if you feel too tired to do it, just do it anyway! When you do have more time to relax, this is the time for that bath! Or just try a foot bath with some calming music. Hang out with or call a close friend, be open, be vulnerable, and talk about life. Go for a swim. It can be so nice to hear the quiet of being under water. Another great thing to do if you have the time is yoga! I love hot yoga! Find a local studio and give it a try. Spend some time doing something you used to love, something that makes you feel overcome with nostalgia so that you can crank up that feeling of relaxation. Another thing to try if you have the time and benefits or money, is therapy. It may sound strange, but it can help you gain perspective as you figure out how to work through your stress.
Whatever you do, whether you have 5 minutes or 55 minutes, try SOMETHING that will recharge your body and soul. Make it a daily priority – even if you think you don’t need it! Eventually, you will need it, so practicing it makes it easier for your brain to normalize doing it.
Be like your phone, if your battery is running out, just spend some time recharging!
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