When you live in San Antonio, TX, there’s a lot to do. Whether it’s wading through piles of work at the office, staying fit or taking care of the family, it can be pretty brutal. The key is to know when to push forward and know when to recharge. One big clue is your emotions. If you’re normally outgoing and social, but lately feel that you want to hide from people or just stay in the house forever, it’s time to take a break and nurture yourself.
What is recharging?
Recharging comes in a variety of forms and based on how stressed you are or what you’re doing. Anyone who works in front of a computer all day understands that they feel far better if they get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour. For others, it means carving out personal time on a regular basis that’s not devoted to anything but pampering. The pampering can be anything from sitting in a quiet room and thinking about ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to taking a long warm bath or reading a great novel.
Do you find yourself ill more than usual?
If you catch every cold and flu virus, maybe it’s time to look at your energy level. You know you need to recharge when your immune system gets funky and no longer provides the protection. Taking time to recharge boosts your immune system and allows the body to repair itself. It’s not a coincidence that you often get sick just when you’re busiest. It’s probably the reason college students get sick more frequently at finals. It’s the stress of everything going on that reduces your resistance to disease.
Don’t skip the gym. A good workout may be just what you need to recharge.
Stress comes in a variety of forms, physical and mental. If you’re overworking your body, you’ll get tired and actually have less strength or endurance. That’s when you have to pull back and reduce the workout time. It normally occurs when people spend extra hours in the gym and have a tough workout every day. You might want to do the opposite if you’re struggling with mental exhaustion. That exhaustion comes from stress and exercise is a true stress burner. It replaces those stress hormones with ones that make you feel calm and relaxed.
- Recharging doesn’t require a lot of time away from your schedule. It may just mean taking a quick walk or a power nap to get yourself back on course.
- Get prepared to handle stress when it occurs. There are meditation methods and breathing techniques that can have your mind and body back to relaxed in just a few minutes.
- Turn off technology. Cell phones, social media and even television or NetFlix may actually add to the stress. It helps to go into a dark room and simply sit quietly.
- You deserve pampering. Indulge yourself with a relaxing massage. If you feel guilty about not getting work accomplished, have a list of mindless tasks, such as vacuuming, that you can do easily, while relaxing mentally.