Chill time, downtime, time to relax, rest, R&R, shutdown – Call it what you want but we all need time to decompress. There is a time in all our lives, be it from working hard, playing hard or just staying busy when your mind and body tells you – ‘can we stop now?’ Listen to those messages. If you are getting them internally or someone advises you to take a step back, you MUST pay attention. Rest is how we refuel. Even the car won’t run on empty and neither do we. At some point we all must STOP, take a deep breath, and disconnect. Finding INACTIVITY is equally as important as being ACTIVE. Relaxation is the fuel for the tank. We need that balance. We live in a society, especially in the USA, where we just keep pushing and pushing. I don’t know many people that work harder than me. I love what I do which minimizes the ‘work’ part, but I still put in the hours and always give a 110%. It’s who I am, and it makes me happy when I am productive, getting stuff done and seeing results that matter. But make no mistake, as much as I do, I need to snag some quiet time. We all do. If you don’t create that moment of calm, a time to just do NOTHING, you are risking burnout; You know, when you are feeling EXHAUSTED, mentally (and physically) drained. This is where it gets dangerous. Without downtime, you risk poor production in all that you do. It’s counterproductive and the deeper in you get, the more difficult it is to get out, move on, be effective and be as dynamic as you and those you engage with, know you are. So, remember, make time for YOU, and hit the RELEASE VALVE.
