Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on the different “seasons” of recovery and how we can better understand and navigate them in our daily lives. Dr. Dan Siegel’s concept of “Name it to Tame it” is a helpful reminder that naming our feelings and states of being makes them easier to manage. But it doesn’t stop there—what we do each day has a profound impact on our energy and resilience.
Here’s a simple exercise I’ve shared in workshops that has helped many participants understand their day better and find more balance.
Step-by-Step Exercise:
- Reflect on Your Average Day: Whether it’s a workday or a day off, think about the activities you engage in from the moment you wake up to when you go to bed.
- List Activities in Two Columns:
- Nourishing Activities: Those that restore and energise you.
- Depleting Activities: Those that drain your energy or leave you feeling exhausted.
- Classify Nourishing Activities:
- Accomplishments (A): Tasks that give you a sense of achievement (e.g., completing a project, hitting a milestone).
- Pleasure (P): Activities purely for enjoyment (e.g., reading a book, spending time with loved ones).
- Reflect on Depleting Activities:
- Time Management: Can you set specific times for tasks that drain you, like checking emails or attending back-to-back meetings?
- Breaks: Can you schedule small breaks between tasks to reset?
- Reframe Tasks: Could you find ways to make activities like commuting or repetitive tasks more enjoyable or manageable (e.g., listening to a podcast or learning something new)?
- Map Activities to the Four Seasons (explored more in previous blogs) that make up our days:
- Growing: Activities that stretch or challenge you (e.g., learning something new, taking on an exciting project).
- Regeneration: Activities that restore your energy (e.g., exercise, hobbies, time with friends).
- Letting Go: Tasks that help you release tension or shift focus (e.g., meditation, taking a break, working through and letting go of a challenge/mistake).
- Stress: Activities that are demanding but serve a purpose (e.g., work deadlines, difficult conversations).
- Include Pure Pleasure: Aim to incorporate at least one activity a day that is purely pleasurable, with no goal or outcome in mind. This could be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee or taking a walk.
By taking the time to reflect on your activities and how they impact your energy, you can make small but meaningful adjustments to your routine. The goal is not to eliminate stress or depletion entirely, but to find a rhythm that supports your well-being and helps you navigate the seasons of your day more mindfully.
Have you identified any activities in your day that nourish or deplete you? How can you tweak them to create more balance?
#Mindfulness #WellBeing #Productivity #WorkLifeBalance #SelfCare #PersonalGrowth #Resilience