“A day of rest is a worthy event, we just have to believe it is so” – Hank G
The beauty of writing post on this blog is I regularly have the opportunity to share my many life experiences prior to their fully manifested end. In other words you the reader get to tap into a personal part of my life as I’m learning something new. Perhaps even as I’m writing it. I don’t have to proclaim to be an expert in any particular topic, I just need to be authentic and honest. Share my truth as it comes without a filter and pray that it helps someone maintain a course of direction towards a goal, mission or new and improved way of doing life. As I sit at my computer writing, I am having one of those moments where my topic is in direct sync to where I am emotionally and mentally. The thoughts are flooding my brain, yet I don’t have a full grasp of the answers, but I know they will come as they always do when I sit, reflect and share my thoughts with this wonderful audience.
The title of this post is truly a question that I want each of us to answer. How do you recharge and come to your “Woosah” place? After a long work week, a fun-filled weekend, preparing for a test or presentation, giving time to your family, helping a friend move, recovering after a severe loss. The list can go on and on, but I am curious how you do it. We each have our own way I imagine or at least we should, but sometimes like anything else, we can lose sight of that way.
It’s so easy to get caught up in “stuff” and neglect what’s most important. Ourselves!
Are you that well-intentioned friend that never wants to let anyone down, or maybe you’re that go-to person that comes through at a moments notice, (professionally and personally)? Perhaps you’re the giver and you give until there is nothing left in your tank. Maybe you are the personality type that never wants help, so you do most things by yourself and you quickly become exhausted, but you just keep going and going and going. “No, I’m fine”, you say to those that seek to help you. What’s that about? Everyone around you knows that you’re drained, but you swear (to yourself) that you are the energizer bunny. Lastly, (because my list will fill the page) maybe you have a hard time shutting down, so after the work is finally complete, the art of unwinding has not been mastered yet or even attempted, so it becomes like another task. Just something else to do. So off to sleep you go, but we know sleep does not always equate to rest. So you begin a new day, a new week, a new month or perhaps a new year, tired, cranky or disillusioned about what lies before you and ultimately not at your best. Ugh…I’m talking about myself here, at least to some extent! But I know that I am not alone. So I ask again, how do you recharge?
Just the word to recharge implies that I must plug into something to regain strength or energy. Perhaps that is to the contrary for some reading today. Unplugging may be just what the doctor ordered. The question is when will we begin to administer the prescription? The prescription of recharging. When will begin to take our own advice that we so candidly and thoughtfully give to others? When will we begin to take comfort in our God-given right to be unavailable to our world and its many demands placed on us at times, so that we can rekindle lost fire, restore exasperated energy and replenish a neglected soul? The problem with us (those that think this way) is we normally don’t even feel it is our right to shut down occasionally. We’re always open like 7-Eleven, therefore if we really took a step back to analyze ourselves, we would see that we could not be giving our best to anyone when we haven’t even begun to allow decent left-over time for ourselves. Ouch!
So often when we think of recharging, we relate it to a fun and lively experience, like traveling abroad, going to a game, concert or watching movies, etc. Although these things can certainly represent fun times, they do not typically restore the essential things that are lost during normal or tragic life events. In these times, we will have our fun, laugh, perhaps have a drink or two, but return to the same state of mind that we started in, or sometimes worse off. So how do you recharge? Is it that we should redefine what this looks like for us? Do we need a paradigm shift when it comes to discussing rest, fun and recharging? I say yes!
Again, speaking to the group that fits in my circle of thought (the ones that are always tired). I’m learning a new way to get rest. Even now as I’m learning this , I can honestly say that I don’t practice it enough to appreciate the benefits of simply doing it, but I am getting better. Here are a few things that I recommend you try to recharge:
How I Recharge, Authentically
1. Sit still in a quiet atmosphere or with soft music – Perhaps you could light a candle, take a hot bath, grab a pillow, lie down and turn off your phone (not to vibrate, but off, or to another room). For me, although a rare experience, I listen to my favorite jazz (without words usually) and just breathe. Sometimes I may fall asleep, but it totally relaxes me because I’m not on for anyone else, just myself enjoying the moment.
2. Get a massage – I’ve had the same masseuse for more than 10 years, but this can also be a spouse or significant other. The key is to remember this moment is about you, not your partner. Please be sure to have this conversation before to set clear expectations. Once the massage is done, just lie there and fall asleep. A good massage helps to release stress and toxins from the body.
3. Journal your thoughts – I’ve found that during some of the my most challenging times in my life, when I sat down to express my thoughts on paper there was a healthy release that helped me to feel, identify and bring a certain amount of clarity to a confused situation.
4. Get comfortable saying no and not always being available – I truly wish I had learned this one many years ago. When we say no to someone, it doesn’t mean that we have to be busy doing other things. Maybe that appointment can be with just you and you. No need to explain yourself. Learn to “do you” as they say. The key is to learn to carve out time for yourself and be guilt-free about it.
5. Prayer – Speak life over yourself and the situations that you are currently in. Have a conversation with your God about anything and everything. Don’t allow religious traditions to deter this opportunity for authentic conversation to occur. You should walk away with a sense of release, a hopeful outlook and most importantly, peace of mind.
I hope by now that you are getting the point. This is my list, but if you haven’t already begun, you must create your own and begin to practice it regularly. The great thing is, none of the things on our list have to cost a penny. We just need to believe in the overall significance of the practice. I realize this is the hard part, because it’s breaking a cycle that has been a part of you for many years or perhaps your entire life. It can be done, you just need to recognize the significance and the beauty of it all. The beauty is, when you are at your best, your world is a better place because we are receiving the best you. Nothing else really matters, because when I’m not able to give the best me, not only have I have missed the mark, but I impact others in making their marks as well. We are just that important! So, how do you recharge?
Please share some of your answers below on the comment section of this post. We all need to hear them.
Keep Pressing,
Hank G