Image courtesy of Pixabay/FirmBee
Following an advice I shared in late July I decided to try something new for the next thirty days. I signed up for a very intense and life-changing program created by Seth Godin called altMBA.
For 4 weeks, 100 people from all over the world, explored topics and learned skills to become better decision makers, learned how to be more courageous, received and provided support from an incredibly vibrant community of individuals and much more. I feel very blessed for getting a chance to participate in the program and learning from talented, kind and inspiring people.
You might be wondering why I am talking about this. During the past 4 weeks, I led a very “connected” life. The program used a variety of technological tools to connect all of us together.
As we begin this Labor Day weekend, however, I gave myself a word to have a mini digital detox. So this post is for me as much as it is for you.
We live in a busy world where communication is at the core of our existence – from emails, texts, articles, podcasts to videos, books, games and more. Some researchers even suggest that our Sundays are dying. Here’s another interesting exploration of how we drain our brain resources when we work too much.
In my search, I found 3 important reasons why it’s important to unplug and rest.
1. Play, explore, laugh
When you get away, explore new things and places, and simply play, you become significantly more creative and even more productive, you build new connections in your brain, and you live a more joyful and happy life. If you want to dig deeper, check out this TED Talk by Stuart Brown about the power of play or explore these Brene Brown’s and Shawn Achor’s books with some strategies to help you play more, become happier and enjoy your life.
2. Rest
Whether you sleep a little more this weekend, meditate, try a new yoga class (similar to this one a colleague of mine is teaching), downshifting this weekend will help you to recharge, rejuvenate and get ready for an exciting fall season.
3. Spend some quiet time with your thoughts
A few months ago, one afternoon as I was heading home and listening to a lecture, my phone ran out of juice. I remember thinking that I need to recharge it immediately. The next thing that happened surprised and got me excited. I found myself thinking deeper about what I just heard, putting the ideas together, and figuring out how I can apply them in my own life. I became much more aware of what was happening around me. Within the next couple of days, I read a post from someone who stopped bringing her phone on daily runs, but use the time to think and decompress. We get so much input from many different directions, that we simply don’t have enough time to process. Spending some time each week to reflect, unplug and relax is a gift that we should give ourselves to enhance our creativity, satisfaction, and joy.
Questions: How will you rejuvenate this weekend? What typically helps you the most? How do you feel when you have to work during your weekends?