Recovering and Replenishing your energy

Hello, fellow thinker!

I had a rough week at work last week and in the past, I would’ve ended it with a big bottle of Jack.

But since I don’t drink anymore, I had to deal with it by spending my time actively recovering.

Last week I had a diverse workload and the tasks that I needed to complete required me to switch between different modes. Every time I did switch though, I needed time to allow for the necessary cognitive switching to occur so that I wouldn’t burn myself out. This is also known as recovering.

Here are a few examples of these modes that require me to cognitively switch to or out of.

My default mode: I’ll call this My Public Facing Mode. In this mode, I am very comfortable having small talk turn into meaningful conversation with perfect strangers. This is the mode that allows me to crack jokes when I’m in a group, and 9 out of 10 times, I hit those jokes right out of the park. Naturally for me, this mode can go into overdrive when I need to prospect for new clients.

The secret to getting a meeting with a brand-new person is to offer value in exchange.

Make a call, give your pitch, and ask for a meeting. Expect the ‘no’ and be ready to overcome the objections. There is a lot of rejection here; It’s an intensely emotional rollercoaster. I usually need to do this work first thing in the morning when I have the most energy. I’m a morning person.

Then there is the Preparation mode. This is the mode where I gather and analyze data, rearrange it, and present it back in some kind of visual media. To prepare and organize my thoughts, I typically read, investigate, and ask a lot of questions. I then work with all types of computer apps to communicate, document, and present this data. To be effective here requires a high degree of computer dexterity, resourcefulness, and organizational skills. Additionally, this mode requires a lot of strategic thinking and planning.  

Preparation mode is the exact opposite of my comfort zone – default mode. I do not do well with prep mode. As a perfectionist, I can drive myself crazy overthinking and over-preparing. I suppose this is what makes me good at what I do, but it can drain my energy very quickly.

How about Learning mode? I don’t know about you, but I learn better by trial and error, and not so good at watching videos. That’s why I love the Duo Lingo app, which gamifies learning and is awesome. It’s an interactive, engaging, progressive, and fun way of learning a language. The other type of learning includes what we learn at work and in our personal lives. No matter what I’m trying to learn, I need to be able to dedicate my full attention to the subject if I’m going to retain any of the new information.  Focusing my attention, taking notes, and making connections with the information is all that’s needed for Learning Mode.

I need to do it at a time when there are no distractions.

I’m sure there are more modes but I’ll end the list with Family Mode. When my son asks me for a hug, I like to hold on for as long as I can. I don’t let go until he wants to. At night we sit together, and I read him a book about Peter Pan. As I read, my cat sleeps at our feet and the shimmering night light provides just enough light for me to see the words on the page. This is also when I slow down and listen to my daughter when she tells me about her relationships with her friends at school. I like to be present when I’m in family mode. I don’t want to think about a meeting next week or worry about making my quota, this is why I need to be able to disconnect from work and be present with my family. I also need to be optimal for my real boss. 😘

When switching between modes, I try to block some time to focus on recovering from one mode and switching to a new mode. By recovering, I mean pulling yourself out of fixating on the previous mode’s goals and ceasing any more thoughts about it. If my brain keeps bringing up thoughts from the previous mode, I say to myself – “Recover” - take a deep breath and let the thoughts pass.

If I don’t have enough breaks baked into my weekly schedule to actively recover from every different mode, then I do a mega recovery over a weekend or by taking a day off. The entire time, I intentionally recover from the entire week and focus on treating myself to rest, exercise, good friends, and the love of my family and myself.

Don’t forget to Recover today.

Links to Stuff this week:

• Wikipedia: Task Switching

• 13 Lessons On How To Use Rejection To Your Favor | Stoicism

• 15 Min Guided Meditation For Healing & Recovery | Your Self-Healing Reset

• Read Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
  

How do you recover? Please don’t say - “with a bottle of Jack.” ;)

🤔 The Sober Thinker (@TheSoberThinker) / X (twitter.com)

Keep thinking, my friends!

⚠️ First Time reading? Catch up on all my letters here: https://soberthinker.beehiiv.com/

ℹ️ When you buy something through the links on this site, I may earn a commission.