$+ReSs has been a buzzword for quite some time now, and it's no secret that it's not good for you. Rather than giving you the low down on stress and all its consequences, I want to talk about recharging, which inspired our Recharge tee design.
"We live in a world that commodifies our energy and exploits our creativity. We mistakenly believe that our worthiness is based on our productivity. Which can over time pull us out of the inner sanctuary of our soul."
This is a quote from my incredible yoga instructor, Johnna.
Until I did my yoga teacher training, I was always on the go. I felt like the more errands I ran and the more tasks I could get done in a day, the more productive I would feel, which gave me satisfaction and worthiness. Even when I thought I was "taking a break," I was multi-tasking and doing side hustles that were still activating my sympathetic nervous system. I was still in "fight or flight" mode, which is the opposite of recharging.
During teacher training, Johnna talked about the nervous system and all of its intricacies. Since that mini lecture, I've realized what recharging means and feels like for myself, which is different for everyone. Enter the Recharge tee, a design that reminds you and those around you to take the valuable and necessary time to truly let yourself reset.
When you take the time to recharge, you give yourself the opportunity to gain self-knowledge. You have the time and space to chill out which can bring you clarity on your needs and desires and how to best take care of those. And when you know how to take care of yourself, you’re going to be better able to show up for others.
When you take the time to recharge, you are going to be able to give more of yourself to the people and things around you that matter and get back in touch with your soul and spirit.
When you take the time to recharge, you will feel less burnt out and come back to work, your relationships, and your hobbies with more energy and excitement.
When you take the time to recharge, you will have the energy, creativity, and vitality to spread love and see the good around you. And this ultimately will allow you to better touch the lives of those around you and create the foundation for the life that you want to live.
With that said, here are some ways to recharge:
- Spending time in nature (without your phone)
- Meditation (I love the apps Better Sleep and Headspace)
- Yoga nidra
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Deep abdominal breathing from the diaphragm
- Getting a massage when possible
- Abhyanga (Aryuvedic self-massage with oils)
- Calming yoga poses, such as forward folds, child's pose, corpse pose, and lying on your back with your legs up on the wall. (And no, the heated, fast-paced yoga class you think of as "restful" is really just stimulating your sympathetic nervous system)
- Pranayama (Breath work)
- Avoiding caffeine when you start to feel burnt out. Rather than going for that second or third cup of coffee or a sugary snack, trying a yoga Nidra or restorative meditation
- Light exercise
- Visualization: visualizing yourself in your ideal relaxation spot
- Avoiding multi-tasking (I find this helpful particularly when eating, as eating should be a time of nourishment for your body)