Resolve to Refresh

Have you ever returned from a vacation feeling depleted rather than replenished? Maybe you were jetlagged after an international adventure or drained from overextending yourself to host family or friends. As you return from this holiday break, whether you feel rested or weary, focus on refreshing yourself regularly this year.

The body, mind and spirit crave a pattern of alternating expansion and restoration. You will be at your best when you stretch yourself and then regroup before stretching once again. Sleep is a great example – the body and mind need rest at the end of each day in order to consolidate the learning, insights and activities of the day and reset in preparation for the next day’s experiences. Similarly, your muscles need a day to repair after a weight training session.

Expand – push yourself in your areas of growth. What have you resolved to do this year for your own development? Are you focused on work goals, personal development, relationship improvement, spiritual growth? Whatever your aspirations are, build in a plan for restoration, for its own sake, but also because pausing to rest will reinvigorate you for implementing your intentions.

Grit is often described as the core psychological muscle used for reaching a challenging goal. But we all know that February witnesses countless failed New Year’s resolutions due to depletion of willpower. New research by David DeSteno shows that a more effective strategy for refreshing your commitment to your New Year’s resolutions is to focus on the social emotions: compassion, gratitude and pride in purposeful living. How might you cultivate compassion, gratitude and pride to replenish your energy when your willpower is exhausted?

In order to be resilient, you need strategies to soothe your body, mind and spirit. What restores you the most? It might be taking a bubble bath, reading an entertaining book, connecting with friends, cuddling your pet, meditating or getting a massage. Whatever your go-to reset strategy is, resolve to do it more regularly. Also, consider trying something new to expand your repertoire of refreshing experiences. Reach your goals this year by developing your Resiliency Resources with downtime that rejuvenates you.

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