Ideas for your post-holiday recharging needs
Congratulations, you’ve officially made it through the holiday gift giving season! Well done! Whether you frantically made gifts for every single person on your list, had intentions to make gifts but didn’t actually get around to making anything at all, are fascinated that people actually make gifts, or anything in between, you made it out the other side.
The holidays can be a wonderful time full of fun, family, and friends; and it can also been incredibly stressful, exhausting, lonely, and any other number of difficult things. Two things can be true at once, and if that’s the case for you, know that you’re not alone. I both enjoy the holidays, and find myself completely burnt out by the end of them. I always have great intentions to start my gift making early and pace myself, but somehow never manage and instead find myself in a sprint of long days in floor goblin mode, hunched over whichever project I’m working on, and forgetting to take those all important breaks (I’m working on it I promise!). Not only does the gift making process get exhausting and overwhelming, but the sheer number of social obligations can be incredibly draining to someone like me with an incredibly limited social battery. Not to mention that those social situations are often large groups, a lot of noise, uncomfortable clothes, and sometimes even strangers - all things that can overstimulate and drain those limited batteries even more quickly. Plus the lack of recharge time between events.. Let’s just say that needing recovery time post-holidays is very understandable.
So what do we do, how do we recover?
Everyone is going to have some things that work for them, and some that don’t, and those things may differ from person to person. But first thing’s first, you’re going to need to be kind and patient with yourself. I know this isn’t always the easiest thing (especially since we’re conditioned as a society to believe that our value is directly tied to our productivity, and taking time to relax and recover is equal to the cardinal sin of laziness), but if you aren’t being kind to yourself, then how are you going to be able to take the time you need? Being kind to yourself also applies when you’re struggling because the capitalist world means you’re still going to work and pushing through the burnout (which is never idea, but is also incredibly realistic). It also applies when you realize that you’ve not been kind to yourself. Don’t let that send you into a spiral (I’m looking at you, fellow perfectionists). We need to be able to realize we were being unkind, and instead of berating ourselves for not constantly being uber-kind to our brains and bodies, learn to move forward and try to be a bit kinder than you were before. A little bit better is still better.
Alright, so we’re working on self-kindness, what’s next? I’m sorry to say, but the next steps are going to be different for everyone, so it’s on you to figure out how you best relax and recharge. Feel free to do some trial and error to see what works for you. Maybe it’s a combination. Maybe it depends on the day. Or maybe you’re literally so burnt out that you can’t even figure it out. Never fear, you’re still not alone, even if you’re too tired to brush your teeth in the morning - we’ve all been there, or at least I have. Here are some things you may want to try out that might help you relax and recharge.
Getting out into nature. Whether you’re someone who relaxes while on the move (who even are you), or if you’re more of a ‘be stationary amidst nature’ kind of relaxer, going for a walk, run, meander, wildlife spotting mission, picnic, snowball fight, or anything else outdoors may be just the thing for you. Fresh air, plants, wildlife, quiet, sunshine, snow (for those of us in winter), and the ability to take a deep breath can do wonders to help settle your frazzled nervous system.
Perhaps the outdoors isn’t for you. That’s fair enough. If you can, take an entire day (or more, or less if that’s all you can take) and just relax in bed (or on the couch, or your favourite chair). The point is to be purposeful and mindful in your relaxation. Read a book, listen to music, watch those tv shows or movies you’d been putting off, nap, have a snack in bed, binge marathon your favourite shows or movies (LOTR extended DVDs anyone?). Do absolutely nothing from your to do list. You may even want to disconnect from your device’s constant demands - put your phone on do not disturb, don’t check your emails, texts, social media, nothing.
Can’t sit still long enough for a day of being horizontal? Maybe you need to relax through movement. Maybe you’re someone who recharges by sweating it out and getting your heart rate up. Run, bike, swim, trapeze, hula hoop, row, climb, yoga, really any form of exercise is valid, so pick the one that makes you happiest. I’ll be honest, as much as I know moving my body is good for me, especially when I’m burnt out, this is the form of relaxation my idealist brain wants me to do, but my realist brain says nah.
Perhaps recharging with a buddy is for you. Doing something fun or silly or low key with a partner or loved one who will encourage your relaxation and will require zero energy from you might even help you relax more (and be kinder to yourself if you’re struggling with all those internalized narratives of productivity) because if you’re being “lazy” with someone else, society somehow deems that more acceptable than just doing it by yourself. The key is making sure you’re choosing the right buddy.
Tired of so many decisions during the holiday season? Maybe a return to your set routine would actually help relieve your brain. For some of us, knowing what is coming each day can actually be soothing and let your brain quiet down a little. So perhaps it’s time to pick back up with the routine that inevitably got pushed aside in the frantic rush and chaotic engagements of the holiday season.
If you’re anything like me, you are deeply affected by the space around you. And after the whirlwind of getting all the holiday gifts made, followed by all the events, I’m guessing your space looks a bit like mine: chaotic. Taking some time to reset your space, whether that be one surface in one corner of your home, or the entirety of the home, organizing the chaos might help soothe your soul, and allow you to settle in and relax more easily.
Stay with me for this one. I know it might seem a bit counterintuitive because you might be burnt out from all the deadlined making of things, but some of us like to work on projects to relax and recharge. The caveat though is that the project should make you happy, and ideally be solely for fun, or at least have no deadline. I can tell you that since it’s cold and I like being cozy in the winter, now is when I’ve pulled out anything and everything woolen to play with (I personally tend to avoid touching wool in warmer months.. I don’t like the texture when my hands are too warm). My only rule for myself in this form of recharge is that as soon as it starts taking more energy than I’m gaining from it, I put it down and do something else. Which means all the projects that I’m currently doing to recharge and little things that can easily be picked up for 5 minutes and then put down again for a while, until the mood strikes again.
And that brings us to the last thing on this very not extensive list (I’m sure there are lots of other ways people have found to relax and recharge, but my fried brain can’t currently come up with them): trying something new. Now for some people trying something new requires way too much energy to be a recharging and relaxing adventure, and that’s totally fair. I will say that if you’re looking to test this out, it really doesn’t have to be a big new thing. Learning a whole new language might be a bit ambitious (though I’m sure there’s someone out there who disagrees), but maybe try out that new recipe you saw. Or test out a new crafting technique. Or learn the choreography to that 90s music video that lives rent free in your brain. Whatever it is, you don’t have to be perfect at it, or indeed any good at all, you just have to enjoy the process of trying something out.
So go forth and recharge in whichever way(s) work for you. I personally do a combination of all these things, and I bounce from one to the next and back again with zero regularity or schedule, but based solely on vibes. The most important thing is taking care of yourself, so that you can be your happiest self. Be kind, be curious, and keep being you!
My first (and only, so far) pair of socks I knit. The learning and the doing were a great way to recharge, even though they ended up two different sizes and I discovered I don’t like the sensation of wearing them. I learnt a new skill, got to make something, and now I have a wool sock for my hot water bottle when I go camping!
