18 Ways to Recharge Your Mental Energy
I am a workaholic. There you go. I said it. Admission means you’ve won half the battle, right? I mean, everyone knows that blogging takes a LOT of work to pull off these days. And I do consider myself a full-time blogger since I spend more than 40hours a week running my online businesses. I’m a mom and still hold a regular job. Oh yeah, did I mention I’m an author? You must find ways to recharge your mental energy when faced with a thousand choices each day.
Yet, I can always tell when I’ve pushed myself too far. Several things happen. I feel bad. Small tasks turn into terrible chores. My to-do list grows without an end in sight until absolutely nothing gets done. I’m sure you know the feeling. Technology becomes the monster and I’m like the little rabbit being chased down by a giant it can’t escape. At that point, its time to recharge and rejuvenate before a total burnout takes over and believe me when I say that those are absolutely no fun at all.
Sometimes all you need is a break from technology. The Internet, our cell phones, the never-ending emails… It’s enough to drive even the most sane person batty. I’ve created a list of things I enjoy doing when life gets a bit overwhelming and I need to get unplugged for a while.
1. Get to know your back porch. Seriously. You’ll thank me for this one. Mine is in the process of being prepped for a remodel. But I can tell you now that I will have my own personal meditation room out there when it’s all done. So you have a crap load of stuff on your porch and it’s pretty much an eyesore? Clean it up. Put this chore on your to-do list and make room for one of the most effective ways to relax.
2. Talk to A Friend. A good old-fashioned girl talk always works wonders. Or a chat with one of the guys will do the same thing. I can’t forget my fellas out there who also read LiWBF. Too many times I find myself texting folks instead of picking up the phone. Not good. Back in the day (that would be in the time of rotary phones and coin booths) we had to take the hands on approach to reaching out to loved ones. Technology makes it to easy to dismiss our family and friends with a text or email instead of the sound of a warm voice.
3. Go window shopping. Do not buy anything. I know… She’s crazy, right? However, I set aside days of the week where I head into my favorite stores just so I can touch, feel, and smell the items I see in the ads. Now, this takes an enormous amount of control, I know. My suggestion would be to use this tactic when you’re in the market for buying clothes but take some time to enjoy the many stylish offerings first.
4. Take a power nap. I don’t use this one as often as I did in the past, during those times when my babies were asleep and I needed a bit of sanity rest. However, studies show that a 15-20 minute power nap can work wonders for both for physical and mental energy levels.
5. Listen to a nature CD. You know the ones I’m talking about. If not then that would be the ones with the cool chanting in the background. I use these CDs for meditation all the time. Here’s the catch, though. You have to either use a CD or analog player (one of those cool ones like they have in stock at Urban Outfitters). Using Google or Spotify, etc. places too much temptation in your path to recharged enlightenment.
6. Take a walk through your neighborhood or local park. One of the things I love most about my neighborhood is all the great natural landscaping. Add to that magical fact that the entire neighborhood is named after an English storybook and you have one heckuva meditational escape.
7. Spend some time teaching your pet new tricks. We all do it at some point. We tend to our furry friend’s basic needs without actually tending to his emotional necessities. It’s so easy to get caught up in being busy that we forget to take time to enjoy our pets. Never forget… They won’t be around forever. Enjoy your furry companions.
8. Try a new recipe. This can work two ways. So you decide if this tip works best for you. The jury’s still out for me. LoL
9. Read a real book. Ditch the kindle. Tuck the NOOK away in a corner. Mute the iPad. And then walk over to your bookcases, pull out a real book, open the covers and read it. I promise you won’t regret this one.
10. Try out that new nail polish color you’ve been hoarding. I have a super collection. Nothing perks me up more than giving myself a DIY mani-pedi. And I save tons of money by doing so.11. Experiment with new ways to reuse items in your closet. I am a fashionista and a mom. So I don’t have the funds to buy brand new outfits every week. Instead, I experiment with what I like to call staple pieces, those clothing items that work with everything and never go out of style. Why not spend an hour or so trying on new outfit combinations? This is a fun, yet cost-effective way to shop your closet.
12. Work on a sewing project or any hobby you’ve been dying to try. I’m finally getting to know my sewing machine. This says a lot ’cause the machine intimidates the heck out of me. So I’m taking a class with the talented women of A Beautiful Mess and finally getting comfy with the idea of making my own pretty things again. Fun!
13. Take a drive through your favorite parts of town. A mini road trip provides a fabulous way to recharge your mental energy. I like to revisit the house my grandmother lived in before she passed away or an old childhood home. This is one of those oddities that relaxes me in a way that’s hard to describe.
14. Tackle an old-fashioned crossword puzzle or search-a-word game. Can somebody ring that old school bell, please? But hey, these are great, mindless fun (well maybe not the crossword puzzles). There’s a reason the local grocery store still carries these puzzle books ya know.15. Speaking of old school artsy things, I adore my adult coloring books. Best Christmas gifts ever. Department stores now carry them and they are so very addictive.
16. Take a soaking bath. During these times of quick, fast, and in a hurry the need to take a quick shower is all the rage. Try a different approach to bath time. Pull out the bubble bath (a scented one), fill the tub and enjoy some good old-fashioned me time.
17. Turn on some music that brings back memories and then just relax and lose your worries in this peaceful state of mind. Grab a bowl of fresh fruit and pretend you’re the Queen of the Nile for a bit. Imagination is key. Trust me. 😀
18. Play around with a hair tutorial you’ve wanted to try but keep saying you don’t have time to do. Life is all about making time for the small things in life.
What other ideas do you have the help recharge your mental energy?
These are all great options! I love window shopping!
http://www.effortlesslady.co
That’s one of my favs too Diana. I just kinda pick a pretty mall and walk through and lose myself in the displays. No pressure to purchase anything. Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs
KaSonndra
what a fabulous post my dear! It gave me pleanty of inspiration…and some of these tricks I have been already using myself. As weird as it many sound, sewing helps me a lot ….it is back for the back. but it is a great way to recharge our mental energy…there is something so relaxing about those repetitive moments, it really calms me down…Besides, I’ve always loved that feeling of creating something with my own hands.
Taking a stroll in the nature helps me a lot to…for me hiking works best, when I climb a hill, I always feel like I’ve accomplished something, you know what I mean? Seriously, sometimes it is the only thing that helps me with my headaches—-that may be stress related.
I do spend a lot of time online…for work, for socializing…we need to take some time off line, it is really crucial, sometimes I just turn wifi on my phone and I feel so much better!!!