How do you Recover?
I was doing a lil post-workout Peloton stretch and the muscled-up coach + motivational speaker (a combo Peloton is so adept at finding) was waxing poetic about the importance of muscle recovery.
Yes, we know stretching is important, but it made me think about the ways we recover (or skip the rest and restore step) in other areas of life.
You likely know what it’s like to sprint through a marathon at work to hit a deadline, big event, or milestone, only to start the cycle again the next day. Go-live. Launch day. Tax season. Quarter end. Event week. An executive fire-drill or customer escalation. You’ve had your flavor.
Here in Texas we’ve experienced collective trauma from a severe winter week. Whether you were in survival mode without basic needs of food, water, warmth, or were “okay” and witnessed the suffering around you just waiting for the next shoe to drop, this was some intense primal shit.
You’ve been through interpersonal drama and heartbreak with family, friends, and lovers.
These are emotional, physical, and mental mountains and peaks that include cortisol spikes, fatigue your adrenals, and impact your nervous system.
Your body tells you when it’s time to move into recovery mode. You feel spent, exhausted, and mentally done coming off that peak, though we tend to sprint through the valley.
This is your invitation to take the cue from your body and recover. After a life “workout”, reflect on these three questions to give yourself the fuel you need to strengthen your resilience:
What the *bleep* just happened?
Name and acknowledge what you went through using specific language which gives the brain clarity and can help work toward closure; write it down for bonus points. “I worked my ass off for the last two weeks to submit this client proposal and it was damn good.” “I just made it through a week of homeschooling my kids, working full time, and taking care of my sick spouse.”What did I learn?
Finding meaning in the madness is not only a satisfying reward for your efforts, but it’s the building blocks that resilience is made of. “I’ll set clearer expectations and honor my boundaries with my boss.” “I need a backup generator and should always have a couple gallons of water on hand.” This is also a good opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate what personal qualities helped you get through this chapter. “I learned that my compassion/ingenuity/patience/etc. allowed me to get through this.”What do I need right now?
This is the most important one. What does your brain, body, and soul need in order to rest and restore before jumping to the next thing? This could be nutritious food in lieu of espresso. Sleep. Maybe some time away from screens or kids or spouses. A half day off work. Getting outside for some Vitamin D. Meditation or restorative yoga. More sleep. Close your eyes and listen to the answer… do the thing your body is asking for even if the pull of the busy-ness of life is louder.
This doesn't have to be a big thing or a long thing. Like my Peloton bro says, you can find 10 minutes to stretch after a 60-minute workout so that you’re stronger and better able to meet your goals the next day.
How do you recover? What’s working for you or what do you want to try?
Comment or hit me up at elizabeth@elizabethstjohn.co and let me know.
Cheers,
Elizabeth