Last month was a hell of a busy month for me. A dead run from start to finish, working on two projects and three events all with October deadlines. I am not saying some of it wasn’t great fun, but still it was a lot. I know, I know, it’s surely a first world problem to have too much work at my own small business, so I certainly am not complaining about that.
What I could have lived without and still am not complaining about is the reminders that I’m not as young as I used to be: newly persistent pain in my heel and my knee from … well, I have no idea, actually. The continued diminishing of my “night owl” past when I could just spend a few late nights catching up. The new-this-season allergies when I’m working on outdoor events. (Bah. Okay. Maybe a little complaining.)
Anyway, now I’m done with all those deadlines, and finding it a bit hard to recharge and head once more into the breach. It’s not like I don’t still have a ton to do, just don’t have drop-dead dates looming large. No time for a vacation, but have to get reinvigorated.
What do you do to recharge? How do you get on with it when you’re tapped out?
The Afternoon Inquisition (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Skepchick community. Look for it to appear Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3pm ET.
I generally take a nice long shower using something like Bath and Body Works’ Stress Relief aromatherapy shower gel (I know aromatherapy is bunk, but eucalyptus and mint are soothing smells to me.), and I treat myself to a massage and just one day of planning to do nothing but enjoy the day.
My job is anything but physical, so the body only needs a bit of sleep, but I sometimes have to free the mind of all the thoughts that keep rumbling after tackling a particular nasty problem.
For me there’s nothing better to unwind than going to a concert and immerse myself in high voltage rock ‘n’ roll.
Tomorrow it’s going to be Fates Warning.
I do long form improvisation, mostly improvised soap operas it seems to fill my need for a creative outlet.
Read a book – a new one thats interesting or an old one that I already love. Have a Glass of wine. Cuddle the cat. Classical music. Theatre.
Try a heating pad on the knee and or foot (I assume that you haven’t an actual injury, just (?!?) pain.
I wish I knew… I’m so burnt out after over a year looking for a job with no success (a postdoc in molecular biology, if anyone out there is hiring…). When I’m not job hunting I’m looking after my three-year-old, or trying to deal with my crazy insomnia, neither of which is remotely relaxing, and the money is very soon to run out. So I’m open to any relaxation ideas that require a) no time and b) no money. Hit me!
A hot shower usually is a start for a recharge for me.
Of course, that’s every day after work.
Visiting my favorite websites is certainly a way to get on with it. This site is, of course, one of them. :)
Other than those things, not much else. Maybe if I was more social. Hard to be when one’s an introvert, as well as atheist in a conservative state.
I really dig gardening. Get up early, weeding, hoeing, fertilising, mowing – then a nice long nap later in the afternoon.
A visit to the hardware store is a special treat – new tools, a chainsaw, a sprinkler, a few new plants to put in. We are renovating our block after it was nuked due to rebuilding, so it’s quite rewarding – but slowly, slowly.
A.Real.Girl,
I have trouble getting enough exorcise. We all have a lot of trouble not doing things we should be doing. We just have to do our best.
I’m crossing my fingers for reincarnation and being reborn as someone with more drive.
You can’t stay tense while playing with dogs.
(If you don’t have one of your own, you can wander around poking any dogs you come across to see if they want to play.*)
*Never do this.
My number one favorite way to relax is hiking by myself. I can start off in that uncertain place and by the time I have seen a chickadee or a red squirrel I am lost in the awesomeness of the woods and have found myself again. Next on my list is creating/sketching/writing, which I think is more of a drive and maybe less relaxing. But anything indulgent that consumes all of my efforts and thoughts usually helps me refocus.