Here’s a story for you about my overworked internet modem. (Spoiler: this story really isn’t about the modem:) )

One day our modem was giving us major problems – among other things, some of devices kept dropping their wifi connections.

It was as if they WANTED to connect, but they just couldn’t.

You would see the wifi icon pop on and start working, but then my laptop would suddenly start buffering and it would fall back offline – it was driving me crazy.

(Don’t you just hate watching that buffering icon rotate around and around?!)

Anyway, on the one device that magically did connect, we searched online for a way to fix the problem. Nothing we did seemed to make a difference.

I got so fed up that I shut everything down. EVERYTHING. Even my modem.

Then I worked out (best stress reliever ever!) and a little later, I turned everything back on.

Voila. Connections resolved.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

You guessed it: this blog post is about giving yourself a break every once in a while…

Especially when you feel like you’re running so fast but can barely keep up.

Sometimes stepping out of the race (temporarily) is exactly what you need to do to find your power to finish strong!

Our society rewards pushing hard and never giving up. And yes, these are amazing attributes as nothing gets done unless someone actually DOES the work.

But there is also another saying:

“To everything there is a season …”

In other words, if you push hard, you also need to make time to rest just as “hard” so you can power back up again.

Taking time to rest has absolutely NOTHING to do with being lazy or unproductive. In fact, it’s a KEY part of being a productive and healthy person.

Often when you unplug, you come back more inspired, with fresh ideas to make improvements, and with more energy to take on your day.

What are some ways to power down? It doesn’t mean vegging on the couch and bingeing an entire season of a show on Netflix (although sometimes it might).

For some people, it could mean doing something fun, like playing softball or tennis, going skiing or swimming, or hitting a flea market to poke around for unique finds.

Here are some everyday ways to unplug:

~ Take a relaxing bath~ Get a massage or other bodywork

~ Read a book (preferably not one about 10x- your productivity)

~ Going for a walk or getting outside for some fresh air

~ Playing with your children or pets

~ Doing something creative: play music, woodwork, cook, anything crafty, etc.

~ Going to a movie

~ Gardening or working on your yard

~ Rent a hotel room for the weekend and get away for a bit (even somewhere local!)

~ Take a nap

This isn’t rocket science – it’s more about giving yourself the permission to just BE. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

If you’re read this far, reply back in the comments and let us know if you’re going to do something intentional this week to disconnect and recharge. We always love hearing from you!