How to: Mentally Reset

A good mental reset is needed every now and then, so today I’m sharing three ways that I hit the reset button, right ahead of National Day of Unplugging (March 4th), a day to promote unplugging from technology to inspire life/tech balance.

1. Listening to my body & unplugging
   This often looks like pausing on a task if I’m struggling to get through it. It can be home related, work related, family related, etc. Whatever it is, I stop and think about if powering through it is going to be more harmful, than helpful. Often times, when I’m not focused, my efficiency goes out of the window. A task that should take around an hour will take several because I’m not focused and I tend to get side tracked very easily in those cases. I’ve found that by slowing down and listening to what my body and mind are trying to communicate, I’m able to come back to whatever needs my attention with much more clarity.
   
   
2. Getting outside & getting movement
   Working from home definitely has its benefits, but one thing that I used to do when working in an office is go on walks and get out for lunch a couple of times a week. Being in an office environment helped me remember to take breaks. I didn’t always have days like this, but it was a bit more apparent when I needed a break. If I notice myself feeling like I need a bit of breathing room, I head outside. It doesn’t have to be a long nature walk or anything out of the way, sometimes it’s as simple as sitting out front of my apartment and getting fresh air for a few minutes. Other times, it’s a walk on a trail not too far from home. 
   
   
3. Taking advantage of alone time
   Alone time is a rare occurrence around my home. At max, I get a couple of hours each week. During that time, I try to either watch something I’ve been wanting to catch up on, uninterrupted, get started on the quick tasks for my day (like starting a load of laundry), or taking time to chill, completely. Sometimes that means I just sit and think through the things that I hadn’t processed from earlier in the week. These are generally things that don't need an immediate resolution, but may require thoughtful problem-solving. Other times, that may be allowing myself time to do something that I enjoy without the guilt of feeling like I need to accomplish something.

These are just a few of the things that I do- some of them are a bit more surface level and some are things I’m working on getting better at. I’d love to share those eventually! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy National Day of Unplugging and I’d love to know what you to for a mental reset.

With love,

Danielle