The weather is getting cooler and the holiday season is right around the corner. Do you already feel exhausted? If so, it might be time to recharge. Don’t wait until you are ill, and forced to take a sick day! Adopt some simple, day-to-day techniques to clear your mind, rest fitfully and get the most out of your life.
Recharge Daily
It may sound simple, but the first step is to stop. Just stop and take a deep breath. Kind of weird, right? You’d be surprised to realize how often the average American takes the time to just stop and be quiet and still; almost NEVER. In our hustle, bustle society, we as Americans are always on the go, go, go, never stopping to enjoy the moment and just, well, be.
It doesn’t take long and the impact is very powerful. We tell our children to “stop and take a breath” when they become hysterical, why don’t we as adults do it? After all, we usually become upset a couple of times a day (i.e. road rage, disagreements at work, shrugging off back-handed compliments), but, we usually internalize these situations quietly, within ourselves – yikes! Don’t let let daily frustrations get the best of you, take a daily “time out”, like we did as kids.
Below is a list of ways to recharge daily:
- Turn off electronic devices, including mobile, for just an hour each day
- Sit down for dinner, at a table, not in front of the TV or standing by the sink
- Exercise at least 3 times a week, nothing crazy, just moving for about 30 minutes at one time
- Adopt breathing exercises to start your day; according to Prevention Magazine, there are many simple breathing exercises to adopt such as Breath of Fire and energizing Yoga techniques
- Establish a place in your home to be calm, your “happy, calm place” if you will
- Meditate for 3 minutes; Mindful.org reminds us that when a piece of technology is not working we turn it off and then back on again, so apply this same technique to your mind by “turning it off” while meditating
If you still feel drained and do not have zest for your life, it might be time to look at the bigger picture.
Recharge Your Life
If setting aside daily “time outs” is not working, it might be a good idea to reassess your life in general. Change is scary for some people, but sometimes making a change is the only answer. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if a true change is necessary to recharge your life:
- Do you like where you live?
- Are you happy with your health?
- Do the people you spend leisure time with make you happy?
- Do you have an outlet for your frustrations? If so, is it effective, do you feel better?
- Are you being realistic with your “to do list”?
- Are you able to identify positive aspects of the work you do?
Once you have honestly answered these questions, really assess your answers. If you answered no to any of the questions above, it’s most likely a red flag that simply recharging daily will only be a temporary Band-Aid. Don’t ignore your honest assessment, help yourself by believing your own answers.
Recharging your life doesn’t just happen. You must commit to change or forever be “running in place” always feeling drained and exhausted. Acknowledge the need to recharge, take ownership of method/change needed then do it for yourself, and no other!
About Fun Team Building
Larry Lipman of Fun Team Building has worked with teams for over 20 years and has formulated unique problem solving activities for all types of corporate and not-for-profit organizations to improve communication skills. To learn more or schedule an event, call Larry at 770-333-3303 today!