Resilience is often misunderstood. It’s not about being tough like a football player – taking hit after hit, pushing through barriers, and never giving up. Football players are resilient on the field, yes, but remember that the best athletes spend time recovering.
Overwork and exhaustion are the opposite of resilience. When someone shows up to class or work (or a football game) feeling utterly drained, they don’t have the cognitive resources to do well, stay in control of emotions, or perform their best.
The more time a person spends performing, the more time that person needs recovering. Recovery periods become increasingly valuable as the demands on you intensify.
Most people assume that merely stopping a task is enough to recharge. When you don’t have classes for a few extra days (THANK YOU, FALL BREAK!), you might expect that your brain will recover from those efforts and return feeling refreshed and ready to learn more. But rest and recovery are not the same thing. Stopping does not equal recovering.
Various types of recovery
Internal recovery involves the short periods of relaxation that take place throughout our day whether scheduled or spontaneous. These could involve shifting our attention or changing tasks when we feel mentally or physically depleted.
External recovery refers to actions that take place outside of scheduled work — including fall break. But if you spend your fall break on your device becoming riled up by news or stressing about the paper you have due when you return, your brain hasn’t received a break from high mental arousal. Our brains need rest as much as our bodies.
Know thyself
External recovery means taking time to do things that are fun, enjoyable, and help you feel good. So, during fall break…
- Explore new places
- Go outside
- Move your body
- Revisit activities that you loved when you had more time to play
- Unplug
- Priorritize good sleep
- Savor delicious, nourishing food
- Spend time with supportive, loving people
- Experience awe
The best person to know how to recharge is YOU. Take time to recover effectively this week and you’ll be better equipped to face whatever challenges come your way.