It’s time to take a break!
March 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment
After taking some time out to watch the Olympic games in Beijing in August, I came to reflect on how elite athletes can provide us with some wonderful inspiration and insights into how we as artists and creatives can train and compete as sole business owners.
As we go about our practice and business there are many important things that we, like athletes need to consider – building and maintaining our fitness, building our stamina and skills, preparing for the big race, celebrating our successes, reflecting on and learning from our mistakes, and importantly refreshing ourselves after our achievements – both mentally and physically.
After a big competition, great athletes understand the importance of recharging, of recuperating, of maintaining clarity and refocusing on the next event and the gold medal in the case of Olympians. In our creative practice we also need to do this – not only on a yearly basis also importantly on a daily basis. It is about ensuring that we have the stamina to go the distance to fulfil our goals and be attentive and successful artists and creators.
In their book The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz state that “the challenge of great performance is to manage energy more effectively in all dimensions to achieve your goals”1. They go on to say ”… engagement is not simply one-dimensional. The energy that pulses through us is physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. All four dynamics are critical, none is sufficient by itself and each profoundly influences the others. To perform at our best, we must skilfully manage each of these interconnected dimensions of energy.”
My question to you is: how do you manage your energy, and do you give yourself time to rest, recuperate and recharge across all your four energy dynamics on a daily basis? If the answer is no then it may be time to re-evaluate and refresh. Try out the suggestions below to see if they help you keep energy levels at peak.
- Do at least one thing a day that brings joy into your life. Spend some time identifying things that make you joyful and make a commitment to yourself to do at least one of them daily. It can be a simple thing like brushing your dog or cat, going for a run or walk, reading a book or listening to music of your choice. It is great for your stress management and lifts your soul.
- Make time to play2, and feed the creative part of your life. By play I mean having fun, doing something that allows you to listen to what’s going on ‘inside’ for you, to be caught up in living in the moment.
It may be cooking a meal for friends, going to a movie, leaving work early to go to a play or book reading, going to a painting class or writing your book, watching sport. Play opens your mind to new possibilities.
- Take time for physical exercise and to move your body. Exercise is a natural stimulant with both proven physical and psychological benefits. On a physical level it increases your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, muscle tone and strength, energy levels, flexibility, sleep quality to name a few.
On a psychological level it improves your confidence and self-esteem, reduces your stress levels, and increases your feeling of well-being. In short, it makes you feel good and gets you away from your desk and computer.
- Allow some time in your day to reflect on your successes, on your life, those people who are important to you. Take time to be grateful for all of it.
At the end of the busy day it is easy to focus on the negative and where things went wrong, what you didn’t get to complete. In taking time to reflect on what is right with our lives we move to a different mind set, a celebratory place, a happier place. Keeping a gratitude diary is one way to record these aspects of your life. It is a positive way to take a break in a busy day.
And to support yourself daily in the above, develop and maintain a healthy diet and sleep routine. The importance of a healthy diet is well known and documented. Food is fuel for our body and is required at regular intervals to ensure that our energy can be maintained at optimum levels. Too little or too much food at the wrong times can impact on how we perform.
Get to know what food is best for your body and when to eat it. Take a proper breakfast, lunch or dinner break and allow your body and mind to enjoy your food. Develop supportive rituals around your food and sleep.
Schedule your work to ensure you get between seven and eight hours sleep a night. Taking care of both these areas will reduce the possibility of you feeling tired or sluggish and allow you to give yourself the best chance of doing your best.
So give yourself a break, you don’t just deserve it – you need it.
1Loehr, Jim and Schwartz, Tony (2005) The Power of Full Engagement – The Free Press, New York, page 9
2National Institute for Play at http://www.nifplay.org
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