Incorporating recovery periods in everyday live

To regenerate physically and mentally, it is important to incorporate regular recovery periods into our everyday lives, especially when we are emotionally stressed: stress can block our energy and make us feel drained instead of vital and enterprising.

Everything that we perceive as negative, troublesome or uncomfortable presses like a weight on body and soul. It makes us smaller, we sink in ourselves. When this “energy jam” accors, our body is affected and our immune system weakens.

Just as physical exercise requires a balance of muscle exertion and recovery periods, our brains function and develop best when times of high performance are followed by recovery in a balanced rhythm. We are active and relaxed several times a day, like waves going up and down. This balance, symbolized by Yin and Yang, is a harmonious, healthy, ideal state. When the mind is allowed to relax, we recover, we are able to restore our resources and perform.

There is no patent recipe on how to reach this ideal state however. We all get there in different ways and it is up to each and everyone individually to find out what works and feels good.

Relaxation, flow and balance

Relaxation is what most people associate with kicking back and doing soothing things like lying on the couch, watching the favourite Netflix series, reading a book, or meditating. However, relaxation does not always mean a bath, sauna, massage, book and cosy blanket.  For example, if you have been sitting at your desk for too long doing a monotonous task, building up too much Yin, then an activity which is both mentally and physically demanding, might be the right solution for more balance.

In an active form of recreation, we engage our brain: activities such as painting, playing the piano, chess or practicing martial arts forms challenge the brain, ideally leading into a state of flow, immersed in an activity that seems to happen naturally and feels nourishing. In this state body and mind calm down.  Flow can also be achieved by walking in nature, cycling, or practicing gentle forms of movements like Kimoodo (Korean Tai Chi).

Flow happens when we feel challenged enough but not overwhelmed. It can be experienced through a wide variety of activities, no matter if by solving a puzzle or climbing up a mountain. What counts is not what you do, but how and what you feel in that very moment: especially when the energy level is low, it is important to experience joy during the chosen activity, without pressure to achieve results – just for fun!

What works for you?

Imagine you have a friend who likes going hiking in the mountains whenever he gets the chance, always active and working out every free minute. You join in because you don’t want to be a spoilsport in your leisure time together, and also because your common sense tells you it is healthy to do something active in the open. However, at some point you realise that you do not have that much fun at all, and that you feel rather exhausted and relieved when it’s time to go home and you can finally pick up your book on the sofa.  Again, relaxing needs to feel as such. So find out which type of relaxation is best for you, to achieve mental distance from work and everyday worries.

You own the key to it

Relaxation is an internal process and only happens when we take the space we need preventing others and our own thoughts  to distract ourselves. Only then, the brain build can switch off properly: Can you leave work at work or do you keep  your mind busy with tasks, dead-lines and emails also when you are off the clock?

Once you realize what regenerates you and replenishes your battery, you should spend time on it. Because balance, relaxation, mental calm… can only be understood when body and mind actually feel this serenity.

What can you take away from this?

👉Which relaxation technique suits you depends entirely on your preferences. Sometimes it’s worth trying different things and gaining new experiences that can stimulate other senses and regions in your body.

👉Take a personal inventory. Assess where you are now. Also, take a closer look at your schedule and see if it needs adjusting. A change in your schedule and habits makes sense when you realize that:

• You are engaging in too many tasks at the same time and you are overwhelmed
• Work and free time are not in balance
• You cannot quiet your mind and work tasks haunt you also in your free time
• You ignore body warnings and do not take enough breaks
• Even leisure time is stressful

According to the Chinese medicine, spring can be a time of renewal and growth as the energy in nature begins to flow again. In order to build up and boost this energy, it is worth reflecting on your own personal strategy now, discovering in yourself how to effectively recharge your batteries:

• to let go of worries
• to restore a sense of inner peace
• to escape from the stress and chaos of everyday life
• to experience deep relaxation and calm
• to focus on the present moment

Are you having a hard time to figure this out on your own? We are happy to support you: Discover in an individual coaching or in our resilience group training what nourishes your mind and gives you the energy boost you need.