We are ready for a reset. Are you? A chat about the importance of taking time for yourself & ways the Habits Team will be recharging this off-season.

REST | RECHARGE

It's that time of the season when our small town does a little reset. Typically, this is the beginning of "mud season" or when the snow is melting quickly, and the mud makes its appearance. 

By the looks of things, mud is nowhere insight, and the snow is not melting as quickly as we would like it to. It's been challenging in some ways and great in others. Not much sun, too much shoveling, and crazy driving conditions. On the opposite spectrum, great water table situation, lots of happy skiers, and what I imagine will be a spectacular wildflower season. It's time for us to reset as well as mother nature to reset herself as well. 

As any entrepreneur will attest, taking a break and getting a much-needed rest is not always easy. Even if you send an OOTO email, you will still check your email, you will still go over your financials, you will still look at your social media accounts and update if necessary. There will be pressing matters that will need some attention and as much as you want to ignore them you will feel obligated to answer or at least take a look. This is part of doing business for yourself.

Recharging is also very crucial to a creative mind and to keep a healthy boundary from your work life. The way of thinking that if you are not working 70-hour weeks as being successful is outdated in my opinion and only causes more stress.

Simply getting outside for a brisk 30-minute walk is a recharge and something I need to do more often. Not feeling guilty for laying around and puttering around my house on a Sunday is something I need to be okay with doing. 

This Spring, I will take a vacation or rest with my immediate family. Something we haven't all done together in years. A road trip with my husband to California to meet up with our grown children. I am hoping for beach time, good food, walks, and hopefully no business. Of course, I don't think it will be that easy, my son works for me, and we are working on a couple of new projects. My kids like to see what is new in fashion and street style, so a trip to LA to see what other shops are up to is most likely to happen. 

How do I reset? Quiet time is important to me and as well as being alone. A deep dive down a research project is also a way for my mind to focus on one thing and not the jumble of thoughts constantly running through my head. I also crave time to myself and getting out for a meandering walk. Whether it's in the woods or through a city. Just wandering seems to reset my creativity. 

I think everyone has their own methods and should do it often. Recharging our low batteries is key to good mental health. We hope you find time this Spring to reset and recharge. Habits staff will recharge by taking a little break. Putting the proverbial "Gone Fishing" sign up until April 23rd. 

-Arcy

To reset, is a state of mind to me. When I need to relax and reset for a change of season or in times of stress, it is all about changing my state of mind. Recently, I had a work day on a Saturday, and I had a great day. At first, I was confused as to why I had a great day when I was working and then I quickly realized that it was because I had the mindset that it was Saturday, not a work day. 

I think this small example expands into a larger reset, a different mindset. To reset, I love to get myself into a "weekend" mode. Planning trips to see new things and to experience something different very much excites me and prepares me for resetting. The mindset of planning, packing, only to relax and enjoy a new place is always the best way for me to relax my work brain. When I go on vacation, or take a break, I try my best to absorb all the resting and bring it back to reality post break. Absorbing the happiness and rest from break, helps to fuel my reality. 

I am excited to go on a small trip to California this year. Road tripping with one of my loved ones, meeting up with friends, putting my toes in the sand, soaking up some sunshine, going to a museum, and eating new foods are all things I am immensely looking forward to. I look forward to coming back after the reset and starting spring/summer fresh with Habits. 

- Milli

When the time to reset presents itself - whether that is given time off or a clear recognition from myself that it's time to realign again and to create time to recharge, there are multiple things I find leaning towards in order for me to fully reset - both socially and individually.

I look to traveling (near or far), change my surroundings to something different. That could be visiting family back home or planning an extended trip out of the country. I love to dive into cooking and baking, enjoy new dining experiences, drinking delicious wines with my loved ones and have gatherings at my home. Those moments are a huge part of how I recharge, fueling my soul with new adventures and creative inspirations. 

The other part is looking inward and taking lots of alone time, doing things just for me. That looks like yoga, long morning walks, reading a good book, baking something new, playing with flowers & gardening. 

This break I will be headed to Hawaii which will be a new experience surrounded by people that I love. I'm looking forward to filling back up, soaking in some must-needed sunshine and return feeling realigned and refreshed for a fun-filled spring and summer. 

- Kate

Resetting for me is very important, especially as an introvert. This doesn't mean I don't like hanging around people or get nervous when speaking. It means that in order to reset and re-charge I need to be by myself. For me to successfully reset and clear my mind I need some aspect of physicality. Usually this means skateboarding, climbing, skiing, yoga, or hiking. There needs to be sense of letting go and allowing my body to move and react to my environment. Essentially tapping into the flow state in order to achieve a kind of meditative mental space. 

We have all experienced something like this whether we know it or not. This can feel peaceful, joyful, meditative, or all the above. For example, when someone says time flies when you are having fun, your mind is not paying attention to the time, its purely focused on the task at hand. It can even be doing the dishes and finding a rhythm leading to a meditative state. Sometimes it is truly difficult to tap into the mindset, but no matter what I feel much better afterwards.

- Cade