Recharging
June 2022 is over. Now we have officially had 2 ½ years of tough times.
Even though we are starting to come out of the pandemic, there are still struggles – health and safety (several angles), uncertainty, political, not enough time. Employers have difficulty hiring, gaining commitment, and keeping qualified people as well as getting new business. Employees’ lives are complicated with more choice, telework decisions, child care, finances, etc.
Batteries need to be recharged. So do spirits. Don’t expect a lot of answers here although I do have ideas. More than that, though, I have introspective questions.
- What is your getaway place? How do you get there?
- What are your getaway activities?
- Outdoors – physical yard work, gardening, nature?
- Travel?
- BEAUTY? See the photo.
- Exercising or sports?
- Cooking? (I “lose” myself in making lasagna, breakfasts, and grilling)
- Talking it out with a trusted partner?
- Music?
- Movies or television?
- Who do you do these activities with? Who is your support network?
I believe that the recharging process has three components – physical, mental, and emotional. The Horizontal Maslow (on life balance) that I’ve discussed in previous blogs is a good place to start.
Learning about resilience is another. I have valuable materials on both of those.
Your mindset is a significant contributor to how much recharging you need and how you will return. I have found Ryan Gottfredson’s material on mindsets to be very useful.
Thinking about who recharges well and how do they do it is yet another approach. There are certain professions where you need a very short memory (baseball pitchers, football quarterbacks and cornerbacks, golfers, etc.). How do they “move on” quickly? Can YOU “let it go”?
Recharging typically has the context of getting away (from work, home, other stresses). That’s true. But, we don’t often consider and plan for how we will return. How will you think, act, and be different so that you don’t fall back into the same rut? Recharging should include some time to plan your approach to that.
How do you recharge? That’s a very personal question. I hope the above has given you food for thought to make this an intentional (vs. reactive) decision. Happy to discuss.
