Welcome to Boldschoolers!
Is rest and relaxation overrated? NO! In fact, a particular kind of rest and relaxation is essential to optimal performance.
When in flow, a massive amount of brain chemistry and energy are released, leaving us in dire need of recovery. Most of us can only fully focus for about 20 minutes of time before those brain chemicals begin to exhaust and take a hit. Rest and relaxation are vital components to replenishing the system for ongoing learning and for being ready for new opportunities for flow.
Recovery happens in a couple different ways.
1. Firstly, we need high-quality sleep to consolidate learning. Sleep helps us replenish the energy and chemicals expended.
2. And, secondly through Active Recovery, which is different from passive recovery. Sometimes we think recovery means taking a break watching television or jumping on our phone's social media. Unfortunately, those "passive breaks" aren't replenishing our brain and body with the needed brain chemistry and energy. One reason is because media often moves at a pace that excites the brain, rather than giving it a chance to recover. Think about the fast cuts in television shows or even the movement of our thumbs through screens on a phone. These attention grabbers don't allow our brains to replenish. We might think we can skip active recovery, but that pretty quickly leads to burnout. We just can't replenish without it.
Here are some options for active recovery:
- Learn some simple breathing exercises to balance and reset your nervous system.
- Start a Mindfulness or Meditation practice. Even just a few minutes is helpful.
- If you have access to a Sauna or Jacuzzi, make time in the day to enjoy. A bath (perhaps including Epsom salt) is also a good option.
- Do some Yoga stretching throughout the day.
- Depending on age, enjoy quiet play, or a rote skill you're competent in, such as knitting, a musical instrument, singing, dancing or something else that doesn't actively involve your mind.
When in Recovery:
There's a great opportunity in recovery for reflection and verification. In flow, everything seems awesome, but it's great to check your work inside of recovery. You don't need to do that work of editing or revising, but you can take a look and see what actually is the quality of work you were going after. You can best evaluate the quality of your work outside of flow.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or burned out, increase time in active recovery. Remember, the first stage of the flow learning cycle is Struggle. You can't get psyched up for the struggle, if you aren't spending enough time in recovery.
Recovery takes grit because it's so much easier to turn on the television or pick up the phone. To learn more about grit, check out the free ebook on developing GRIT in Boldschoolers.
Happy Boldschooling!
