Today I want to dive into the benefits of downtime, recharging your (mental & physical) batteries, and taking a step back from life to gain perspective.
In case you haven’t noticed yet, I absolutely love what I do. Coaching, mentoring, and helping people experience a healthier, happier life are passions of mine.
The balance of the past 2 weeks was to find the right opportunity to carve out time from my busy vacation schedule. This included catching up on sleep, socializing, and having afternoon cocktails!
Seriously, it was tough!
Many Clients I See are Miserable in Their Jobs
The reason I mention this is because many clients I see are miserable in their jobs and this headspace spills over into other areas of their life (health, happiness, relationships).
It saddens me to hear of so many people who work themselves ragged in jobs they hate, or that generate unhealthy levels of stress. They watch the clock all day and wish the weekend would come sooner. They count the days until their next vacation so they can escape their job for a week or two.
It’s these people who take a few days to settle into vacation mode and feel relaxed. They then start developing anxiety about going back to work a couple of days before the end of their trip. This means these people will only have a couple of days of true relaxation.
From my perspective, life is too short to live like this, and continuing to live like this will make your life extra short!
Knowing What is Downtime and Using It Effectively Can Improve Your Life
If you (or someone you know) are in this position, it’s time to make a change. Knowing what is downtime and using it effectively can improve your life in both the short and long term.
Vacations are great for the change of pace they provide. Sometimes it’s the downtime and relaxing, other times it involves fun, fulfilling activities and events.
I like the clarity and focus I can get when stepping away from day-to-day work and life. It helps put my work, life, and efforts in perspective.
As a business owner, speaker, and coach, my work inspires and motivates me. Too long away from it makes me antsy, and after some quality downtime, I come back to work full of motivation, drive, and focus.
It’s a pretty cool feeling and something I try to help clients tap into. The good news is that you don’t have to wait for vacation to make this happen. You don’t even have to love your job as much…or even at all!
Purpose and Passion in Both Personal and Professional Life
Getting to this point is pretty straightforward. It involves identifying your purpose, finding avenues of passion, and looking for ways to express that passion in both your work and personal life.
This is what lights the fire under our butt and helps us persevere during tough times. These factors also give us energy, motivate others close to us, and help us achieve results in life we didn’t think possible.
Sometimes as life gets busy, we temporarily lose sight of what’s important to us. This is where downtime comes in handy.
It’s our opportunity to step back, assess our progress and position, and make strategic adjustments to our course. We are in complete control of our downtime and what we do with it.
Opportunities for downtime, relaxation, rejuvenation, and reflection naturally occur every day, week, month, and year. Unfortunately, most people don’t harness them effectively.
I can hear the excuses starting already. STOP!
No…Your Situation isn’t Unique. Yes…This Approach Can Work for You
The Natural Stress Cycle and Downtime
This image shows the “Natural Stress Cycle”. We can use this pattern to maximize both our productivity and performance through the use of effective work and effective downtime.
As I say in the gym, “The harder you work, the harder you need to recover!”
Use it to your advantage. Take those moments every day to step away from the hectic pace of work and life.
Reflect on what you are grateful for, and take care of your mental and physical health in simple ways. Perhaps it’s listening to your favorite song, or reading a few pages from an inspiring book. Maybe you sit in silence, breathe, and reflect.
Regardless, it will be better than scrolling through your social media feed at the food court, or working while scarfing down food at your desk.
This daily downtime only takes a couple of minutes but can have far-reaching effects on personal performance and productivity.
On a weekly basis, it’s also important to use our downtime wisely. Most people get weekends, but as a business owner, I’m well aware that not everyone is in the position to have Saturday and Sunday to themselves.
That’s OK!
The Weekly Downtime
Even an hour over the course of the weekend can be highly effective if used correctly.
This weekly downtime should be used to reflect on what’s important to you, the successes you’ve had in the past week, your top priorities, and what you are excited about doing next week. Of course, some fun and relaxation are extremely helpful too!
Yearly (or more often) vacations are great to get away for extended periods and “unplug” more thoroughly from life.
Your time can be spent in many ways, but it shouldn’t involve work. It also doesn’t have to involve sitting on a beach at an all-inclusive resort and stuffing yourself with excess food and drink.
Planning Downtime Sessions
I’ve talked about doing this on vacation time since you likely already have this time blocked off. Even better is to block off specific times throughout the year to do these things outside of your vacation.
These goal-setting and planning sessions are like rocket fuel for your personal and career performance. The key is to carve out time to get away from the rat race and gain perspective.
Ideally, you make time to go somewhere beautiful, inspiring, and quiet so you can focus. However, you can also get out of the house/office and head to a quiet coffee shop as well.
If you haven’t done these planning sessions and would like assistance, just let me know. I would love to help.
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Comments
Excellent information! I like the idea of planning ‘downtime’ else I know I would just think I was too busy. Great ideas here for improving one’s outlook on their job, lives, etc…
Thanks for the feedback!
You absolutely have to take time to decompress and recover both physically and emotionally. It helps keep you healthy.
Exactly Beth. Thanks for engaging!
Your article on “What is Downtime and Why is it Good for You?” is a refreshing reminder of the importance of taking breaks in our busy lives. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget to prioritize our mental and physical well-being. Your insights into the benefits of downtime, such as reducing stress levels, increasing productivity, and fostering creativity, are invaluable reminders for us all.
I particularly appreciated your practical tips for incorporating downtime into our daily routines, from unplugging from technology to spending time in nature. These suggestions are not only easy to implement but also have the potential to make a significant impact on our overall health and happiness.
Thank you for sharing such valuable insights and encouraging us to embrace the power of downtime for a healthier and more fulfilling life!
We are so glad you like our content! Thanks for the fantastic feedback!
For the longest time, I never really took any downtime — it was always go, go, go. This past summer, I really began practicing it and it has moved MOUNTAINS in my life, let me tell you!
Great to hear that Emily! Thanks for commenting!
This information is important. I don’t think a lot of people realize the benefits of having a downtime so it’s good to know it.
Thanks for commenting!
What a great reminder for us to take downtime. We all need to recharge mentally, physically, and emotionally. Thanks for the inspiration.
And thank you for the feedback!
Great ideas to help a person be more mentally healthy. I take off the weekends to do hobbies and stuff like that.
Great to hear that Richard. Thanks for the feedback!
I just had a downtime and it is feeling much better, this is great and love that you shared it with people because it does help. Thank you for this wonderful informative post.
Thank you for commenting!
This must be read and understood by many. Following these steps will help us to be healthy not only physically but also mentally.
Exactly Gervin! Thanks for the feedback!
It’s no wonder that downtime has become such a buzzword, and for good reason! Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life can do wonders for our overall well-being. It allows us to recharge our batteries, reflect on our progress, and make necessary adjustments to our course.
Great popint Sonia! Thanks for this fantastic feedback!
I totally agree with you the importance of downtime and this is the reason why we try to avoid working or doing errands on weekends. For us, Saturday means we can do what we want and that includes simply sleeping the whole day.
You can say that again 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
I absolutely agree! Downtime is essential for well-being but it is amazing at just how many of us forego taking one. I know that life can be very hectic at times but there is a power to saying no and taking care of ourselves.
Well said Maureen. Thanks for the feedback!
I love the natural stress cycle daily, monthly and yearly. Makes a lot of sense. I desperately need a holiday! Down time is really essential for us all.
Thanks for commenting!
So many people still think they’re being lazy if they take time for themselves, but they forget that you have to recharge a battery or it stops putting out electricity! THAT’S what downtime is for.
Good point Claudia. Thanks for the feedback!
I really need to get some more downtime for myself. I am also going to encourage my family to do the same.
Good idea Hannah. Thanks for commenting!
So so important! No wonder so many folks are unhappy. Life is made for fun, too!
Yes, it is. Thanks for engaging!
I don’t often get much downtime as I work seven days a week. It’s something I am working to change. It can make such a big difference to how we feel.
Thanks for the feedback. And good luck!
I definitely am in need of downtime. Whether it is quiet time or a good break from daily activity, I am totally feeling it as far as too much work and not enough play!
Thanks for commenting! Hope you get some break!
I definitely need some downtime. I have been so busy lately even in weekends and I feel that my productive is now being affected. Will take your advice to go somewhere beautiful, inspiring and quiet.
Thanks for commenting Clarice, and good luck with taking the time off.