3 Ways To Help You Intentionally Recharge
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By: Ayanna Dutton
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been an introvert at my core. Yes I can be a social butterfly and to many I could even be considered more of an introvert/extrovert, but the biggest takeaway is that I find most of my solace in those solo moments. Recharging by myself feeds my soul more than recharging with or through others. Spending time with myself is my favorite thing to do, but it took me a while to navigate that in a healthy way. You know too much alone time could have things going really left, but too much time away from self can leave you depleted beyond measure. In full transparency I’ve been on both ends of that spectrum which is why it took me a lifetime to find the balance, and still learning.
Recently, during some much needed alone time this topic came up for me and it made me think about moments in the past when I felt completely depleted. Growing up, I was always that busy girl - you know the girl that held too many roles on boards and participated in too many activities in and outside of school. On top of that, I’ve always been an executor so getting it done was never a question.
Even post undergrad when I had more freedom and was in more control of my time I still did the most with more than one job at a time, side hustles, parties, events, family obligations, etc. I was exhausted and committed to so many activities and actions, except the most important one, a commitment to self. My commitment to self was low. Putting me first ALWAYS and learning that “no” is a form of self-care were two things I had to not only embrace, but exercise on a daily basis.
I’ll never forget this one day in particular a few years back - It was a Friday night and I was so grateful to finally be home earlier than I thought I would be. Forget weeks, at that time I had a busy few months filled with long work hours, dinners with friends, family obligations, events to attend (because as an entrepreneur the work is never done) and I was beyond exhausted. I just remember being so tired - physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. I could not remember the last time I had just a moment to be. As I was musing on this a text came in for yet another thing to respond and commit to.
At that moment I took a look at my calendar and instantly felt defeated. I did not realize that I had a lot of upcoming things locked in and it left no time for me. I kept replaying in my mind the choices I made and why it was so easy for me to overlook time for myself. That night I did go to bed exhausted and defeated, but also aware and accountable. We all make choices and these were the ones I’ve made up to this point, but I had the power to change that. I swear I woke up the next day with so much clarity, intention and ideas on how I could treat myself better by giving myself exactly what I needed when I needed it.
Once I got intentional I implemented a few consistent actions:
My calendar (digital or physical) is my best friend - My digital calendar for work and personal are everyday tabs that are open. I like to view my calendar at the beginning of the week (and several times in between) to see what my work and personal commitments are so I can plan accordingly or rearrange if there is not enough time for me scheduled in. For example: If I have two evening outings in one week I try my hardest to keep two or more of my other evenings free so I can have some down time. If I have two days with early morning work calls I try to keep the remaining mornings free from early meetings to balance my schedule (when possible). Weekends are definitely a toss up, but I do try to space out things that require a lot of my social energy such as brunches, etc. I am notorious for looking at my calendar and scheduling catch ups throughout the month vs back to back in one week. Operating in this way has helped me control my time/energy and provide space for what is most important, ME taking care of ME.
Being consistent with my grounding routine - We all have things we like to do throughout our day that feel good and/or help us stay grounded. For me, my mornings are sacred. I love having time to meditate, pull my affirmation cards, read or journal, and do some form of movement. It has taken me some time to develop this routine, but I notice when my grounding time is thrown off (which happens because life is life) it throws me off and it does not help me recharge at all. We all have busy days and a lot of things are out of our control, but me being consistent with my grounding routine keeps what I can control in focus and gives me the necessary recharge to help tackle my busy days.
Periodic self audits - I talk about self-auditing frequently because it is a necessary muscle to exercise. Periodically checking in with myself helps me to assess my needs. I ask myself things like: what do I need and what do I need to re-prioritize? As I mentioned above, I used to have times where I was just in go-mode without even pausing to check-in. Allowing myself the time to take an audit for that week or month helps me keep myself as a priority.
As humans, we all recharge differently. These are just a few actions that have worked for me. Finding the time you need to recharge is necessary so let this be a reminder for you if you find yourself constantly going and not taking enough time to just be.
Post originally published via LinkedIn Newsletter