How to Win at Rest & Recovery
Hey Girl Code! We are nearing the end of the year. We've worked extremely hard all year, and some of us worked so much, we didn't get in enough time to rest and recover. Well, sis, now is the time, if you haven't done much of it all year.
Here are the steps I use to schedule some rest and recovery time. I shared these steps on my Instagram page earlier this week. CLICK HERE to see the video.
Step One: Plan
The first thing you'll need to do is come up with a plan. You'll need to consider several things. When do you want to have your rest and recovery period? What needs to completed in order for you to take time off? How long will it take you to get those things completed?
When thinking about the things that need to be completed, it's important that you only focus on the absolute MUST DOS. This is not the time to try to get it all done *Ahem. Perfectionists, I'm talking to you.* What are the tasks/projects that would cause you to lose money, or have bad customer service, if you don't get them completed? What are the tasks that have immediate deadlines? Those are the things you need to focus on.
Once you've considered those things, you can then come up with your plan of what needs to be completed, by when, and how will you get them completed.
Step Two: Decide How You Will Rest & Recover
You need to decide what your rest and recovery will look like. What makes you happy? Is it binge watching Netflix all weekend? Is it going to visit a friend out of town? Is it a spa day? It's important for you to determine what you will do for rest and recovery. The plan you came up with in step one will require additional hours. You may have to work longer days or on a day you typically take off. Knowing exactly how you will rest and recovery will help to keep you motivated when you're working those additional hours.
Step Three: DON'T FEEL GUILTY!
Ladies, this step is IMPERATIVE!! If you go through all the trouble of steps one and two, just to make yourself feel bad, you've defeated the whole purpose, sis. Rest and recovery is a form of self care. Don't you dare feel bad about taking care of yourself! So, when your time of self care comes, don't allow yourself to think about work, and what needs to be done. It'll all be there when you go back. The great thing about this whole rest and recover thing, is that when you do go back, you will be energized and ready to take on everything that's waiting for you!
Bonus - Sometimes our rest and recovery periods aren't planned. Sometimes they just happen. The weekend comes and you have all these plans of things you're going to get accomplished. Before you know it, it's Monday morning, and you binged watched reality TV all weekend. That's fine, too! It happens! The key thing to remember is that, if we don't choose to take the time to rest, our bodies will choose for us. And of course, it's usually at the worst time possible. So, don't give you body the chance to shut down for you. Go ahead and get that time in yourself.
Twana