Hit “Reset!” 12 Ways to Relax, Refresh, Renew, Refuel, and Recharge This Month

Actions, input and experiences that have nothing to do with your job can reduce the chance of burn out and stress. Even better, they give you a different perspective that filters into your performance at work. New learning and experiences have been proven to jumpstart creativity and improve your productivity.

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There’s actually a good reason for kicking back and trying new things! Here’s how to go about it.

Seek new experiences and new perspectives. Change up your days. Visit a museum; take a course; explore areas of your town you don’t know well.

Get outside. This time of year is perfect for immersing yourself in nature. Go to a park you’ve not visited; take walks during lunch; lie under a tree. Volunteer to walk dogs at a local shelter. Go out of your way to observe a sunrise or sunset.

Contemplate. Quiet time alone can be a foundation for reflecting on your day; it can be a chance to chase new ideas and flesh them out. For many of us, it is a time to recharge your “battery.”

Care for yourself. Stop postponing exercise, check-ups, and slow food. Make the appointments you need, go to the farmer’s market instead of the fast food restaurant and put gym time on your schedule.   Build a massage, facial or adjustment into your budget.

Sharpen your tools. Technology skills are the foundation of the work you do. Add a new app to your arsenal or take advanced training in one of those you use each day. You never know what you might be missing.

Do something exciting. Yes, exciting. You can probably think of something that intrigues you but that you have avoided.  Maybe you’re little afraid to try it—that restaurant that serves Ethiopian food, skydiving or paddle boarding, a trip to a foreign country, or Toastmasters, anyone?

Determine what to do less of. Is it time to purge your possessions; clean out those drawers?  Are there things you do routinely that take up your time but aren’t really necessary anymore and aren’t meaningful?

AND what you’d like to do more of: reading, sleeping, saying no, inviting friends to dinner?

Take a break—a real break. Once each day, turn off your phone and computer for at least an hour. Resist the impulse to take on a task that needs to be done. Now what?

Do something fun.  Make a list of the little things you enjoy. Things as simple as walking the dog, making lemonade and cookies to drink while you read in the rocking chair, jumping into a lake, listening to live music, making s-mores around a bonfire. Put some joy into every day for a week—or more!

Spruce yourself up. It is easy to overlook the image we project, and not think about whether the person we present is the person we want others to see. Polish that LinkedIn profile, update your resume, get a new headshot take; evaluate your wardrobe.

Stock up on food for thought. Read books or listen to podcasts that you don’t think you have time for. Get started today with The Admin Edge podcast from ASAP!