Recovery is the Most Important Part of Improvement
Steps to help you make sure you stay motivated and rest well
This is post 2 in a series: Things I’ve Learnt From Running (TILFR)
Post 1:
When training for a running race, the way you improve is by breaking down your muscles.
Yes — that’s right, you damage yourself to get better.
Masochistic, I know.
If you’re pushing yourself during a workout — extending your body beyond the limits it is used to — you are damaging your muscles. As you extend yourself, micro-tears form in the fibers of your muscles. The stiffness and soreness you often feel after a hard workout is as a result of your body going to work to repair those micro-tears.
To start the recovery process, your brain sends white blood cells — those responsible for the protection of the body from diseases — into the damaged areas. The soreness and aching is as a result of the increase in pressure against the nerve endings in those areas.
This is why we get swollen — it is your body sending help to the affected areas.
It then follows that to get better, we need to recover effectively. You can’t keep repeatedly breaking your muscles down without allowing them time to recover — that’s a one way street to getting injured and tumbling back down the stairs to step one.
The same applies to our brains.
Burnout
Burnout is the brain’s equivalent of a muscle injury. It occurs as a result of ongoing stress. Stress is to the brain what a hard work out is to the legs. You have to allow it time to recover.
Think of your mind as an elastic band. It’s extremely powerful and can stretch to limits that we’re mostly unable to grasp or explore.
As with all things elastic though, it has an elastic limit. When you pass that limit, very soon the band will snap. That’s what burnout is.
I experienced the effects of burnout first hand. It came as a result of extreme pressure I was putting on myself. I was burning the match from both ends, for far too long.
Recovering from burnout is like coming back from an injury, it’s a long process where you have to nurture back the will and ability to run. It is often the first step toward depression.
It can be avoided though, with proper mental management. Here are my suggestions for how.
Start in control
Start your day with a period of mindfulness.
Different methods work for different people; introspection, meditation, yoga, journaling — whatever works for you, make sure you make time for it.
By taking time for yourself at the beginning of each day, you are reminding your conscious brain that you’re the master of your time. You are the creator of your day. Your days don’t happen to you, you’re intentional with how you spend them.
If you wake up and just go full steam ahead from your first step, you often go in ‘blind’, with no clear intention. Your attention is easily won away from the important tasks which matter.
By setting an intention for the day, you start off with a clear goal of what you want to achieve. That way, at the end of the day you can gauge how it’s gone.
End with reflection
The same way you started your day, make sure you end it too.
There’s nothing worse than that feeling of incompleteness. You climb into bed and suddenly that thing you were meant to do pops into your head and you feel a wave of guilt wash over you.
You can avoid this by having a period of quiet at the end of your day. This can be as simple as closing your eyes before you climb into bed and noting how your day went.
Personally, I like to write it down. I do this right before dinner, because that’s when I stop working. I don’t have a strict template you often see in journals: “3 things that went well today”. I find that takes the mindfulness out of the process.
Anything I write down is because its in my head and needs to be addressed. If there’s nothing to be addressed, there’s nothing to write — and that’s okay too.
Usual features are “Big wins for the day”, “Things I didn’t get to which I want to tomorrow”, or “Notables which I want to improve on”. Sometimes there’s other stuff, sometimes not.
Quiet time before bed
You’ve all heard the advice, if you’re battling to get to sleep, your phone or laptop might be the cause. Try avoid exposing your eyes to blue light before bed time.
This also includes any high-cognitive load activities. Aim for an hour before bed time where you allow yourself to complete relax and turn off.
Read a novel, listen to your favorite music, meditate. Do what you need to to quieten your mind.
This sets you up for being able to fall asleep much quicker.
Sleep well
Seriously, it is so important.
This is probably the most important piece of advice for allowing your mind proper recovery time. If you can do nothing else, make sure you are getting good quality sleep. And if you’re not, figure out why and fix it ASAP.
The same way white blood cells go to injured muscles to aid in recovery, it has been found that the fluid in our brains — cerebrospinal fluid — washes in and out like waves. The theory is that it’s our brain’s method of washing away the accumulation of ‘waste’ matter from the day.
This waste matter is a toxic protein build up, which has been theorized to be associated with mental illnesses like Alzheimers.
Keep a clear head
Mental fatigue is a real thing.
It’s often brought on by too many thoughts swirling around your head. The best way to take back control?
Write them down, or put them in your calendar.
The action of putting thoughts into words somewhere assures your brain that you’ve noted it’s concerns and you’re going to deal with them. No matter what it is — a to-do, an emotion or even an idea — note it, and then schedule it to be dealt with at a later time so you can be fully present.
You can’t think properly with a clouded head, don’t try and do it.
Also, crossing items off a to-do list gives you a little dopamine spike which helps you stay motivated and productive.
Periodic rest periods
Additional to your daily ‘off-times’, you should be making the most of your periodic rest.
Weekends are really important to keep your motivation high. Avoid thinking and doing anything regarding work at all costs. If that means leaving your laptop at work — do it.
Keep a notepad/note-taking app (Notion is my favourite) where you jot down things that come into your head about work. Do it as soon as they come up. Spend 5 minutes capturing the idea properly and then forget about it.
The rejuvenation and increased motivation you will feel on Monday from allowing your brain to rest is well worth it.
The same applies to holidays. Make the most of your time away from work. Do things you can’t normally because of work. Be 100% present with friends and family so that when you return, you don’t feel like work stole your holiday from you.
In summary
- As it is in running it is in life, rest and recovery is the most important step in improving.
- Inadequate recovery = burnout. Burnout is not good.
- Set your intentions for the day first thing. Don’t let life happen to you.
- Review your progress for the day and put things to bed when they need to be.
- End your day on a quiet note and allow yourself to wind down before trying to sleep.
- Sleep well. It is the most important step in staying refreshed.
- Write things down when your mind feels clouded.
- When you’re not in the office, leave it properly. Work stays at work.
Remember: Rest, recover and be kind to yourself.
This is post 2 in a series: Things I’ve Learnt From Running (TILFR)
Post 1: