I read an article a few years ago about the seven types of rest and started developing a more holistic understanding of ways that I can get drained. The flip side of being aware of ways I’m drained is being aware of ways to recharge myself. While some of the ways I have found to feel recharged and renewed may differ from yours, pay attention to if any of the 10 initiatives I mention could be adjusted to fit your recharge needs. Some things I consider are how I’m feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, socially, creatively and sensory-wise.
- 7-8 Hours of Sleep
It is crucial that I get good sleep. I learned this one the hard way! At one point, I saw the late hours of the night as the perfect time to cram in more work or perhaps time to work on creative projects. Once I learned that rest is productive, I started feeling so much better when I’m awake! A good night’s sleep is a foundation for feeling grounded and resilient.
- Staying Hydrated With Electrolytes
I live in the Texas Hill Country, so my walks to class and work keep me needing to drink, drink, drink! I have a cute pink water bottle with a little wrist strap that I take with me everywhere! I’ll add a little electrolyte packet to my water sometimes if I notice I’m feeling dehydrated. I’ve noticed that often if my head is aching or if I’m even feeling more anxious than normal, making sure I’m drinking as much water is recommended for my age/weight/gender seems to always help me.
- Temperature
Now this one may seem interesting, but it is such a big one for me! I tend to be cold when most people are pretty comfortable, and sitting in cold classes all day can really make a gal shiver! If I can feel fully warm at some point during the day, even if it’s just having a blanket when I’m doing homework in my living room, or remembering to bring a sweater to my desk at work, it makes a huge difference to ensure I feel comfortable. You deserve to feel comfortable, and making those small adjustments can ultimately make you feel more recharged!
- Socially Recharging
I am such a big extrovert that if I have a day where I’m not interacting with anyone, I’ll notice myself feeling lower energetically and even sometimes emotionally. A little trip to the grocery store to say “hi” to my friends, calling up a family member for a bit, or even going to a coffee shop to write my article or read my textbook can make me feel so recharged and joyful. For people who tend to recharge by getting alone time, recognizing that can help you find ways to give yourself a time to recharge alone! This is an area that is absolutely worth doing some reflection on, so you can know how to meet your own needs when it comes to recharging socially.
- Creatively Recharging
When I can find 10 minutes to free write (a time when I let my poetic self run wild for a moment), I feel so rejuvenated afterwards, because I created space for my thoughts to breathe. Sometimes this looks like slipping into one of the practice rooms in the music building between classes, and sometimes it looks like remembering to bring my poetry notebook to classes with me in my backpack. Painting or doing art that is nonverbal is another brain break that allows me toI feel like I’m not having to process tangible thoughts as much as I am getting to create something fun and free.
- Meditation
Meditation helps me regulate my nervous system and get out of a stress state. I usually do guided meditations because just sitting in silence tends to not hold my attention well enough. Taking a few minutes to meditate in the morning helps set me up for a more mindful and peaceful day. I use a free app called Insight Timer that has a vast library of different people’s meditations they’ve made. You can choose your length, and it makes it super convenient and fruitful to meditate on a topic that is relevant to you as well as matching your time limit.
- Cleaning My Space
I have this metaphor that influences my view of taking care of my space: “They say the grass is greener on other people’s lawns, but the green shag rug in my living room is the one I want to lay on.”
By making my space feel organized and cozy, I find myself feeling more relaxed and content! When I give my time and attention to take care of my space, it is a way I can show myself I deserve to feel cozy and comfortable.
- Reading a Book
I’ve noticed there are some things I do where I feel my brain having to turn wheels and actively create and produce something, and there are some things I do where my brain gets to relax and absorb information. For me, reading a good ol’ book for fun (which is usually an autobiography, memoir, fiction, or self-help book) helps get me out of the mode that I usually reside in of coming up with the ideas. I get to really relax and enjoy a story or a thought that someone else has already made. Also, when it comes to a really good story, it is such a nice break from reality to get to jump into a good, thick plot and get immersed in the setting that an author has so delicately painted for me. Right now I’m reading A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
- Journal
When the sh*t has hit the fan in my life, journaling is the #1 thing I can do to make everything make sense again. When I open up my notebook to journal, I’m able to let my brain be in the mode of actively thinking and solving whatever is going on, while getting to slow down enough to look at each word on the page. When I am feeling high stress or when an emotion-evoking situation is happening, my brain sometimes is thinking so fast that thoughts can run wild and it can be hard to truly analyze each concept. By verbalizing my thoughts into ink or graphite, I am making them more tangible. I can touch them and rearrange them in a way that is freeing. I do a practice called “morning pages” recommended from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Every morning I fill three pages full of non-judged, stream-of-consciousness thoughts. It clears out any unproductive or cluttered thought processes and lets me be more intentional about what I want to think through and focus on for the day. Sometimes by looking at what was stressing me out, sitting on the lines of a notebook page, I see they were not as scary as they felt. They were just thoughts.
- Explore
I have always had this deep desire to see, taste, touch, and know every corner of the world. If I am going to do something, I want to do it all the way. When I came to college, I would intentionally go places completely alone so that I would be forced to meet everyone there. I realized that when I would bring a friend with me, often they would get embarrassed or shy when I wanted to meet everyone. My biggest fear in life is getting bored. I like to walk a different path to classes to see new people and to notice new things. I want to stay awake to my life and the gorgeous and astronomical things that are happening around me everyday. This is such a big way to recharge: to stay in a mindset of exploration and discovery! I can choose to see everything from a place of wonderment and appreciation, and this mindset is what keeps me feeling energized.