As 17:49 passed on the digital screen ahead of me, my right knee began to feel tight and overworked. I rowed on for another 2:08 before I realized that I was overworked and I need a rest. It was actually 29 days since I needed a rest. I have been working out non-stop since January and began training for a marathon months before I should have, my body is tired. It was like I had just discovered gold in my backyard when it dawned on me that I need to rest my legs or I’ll damage them more than I already have. Our minds work the same way, without proper rest they don’t work like they’re supposed to.
We all have those days when it seems nothing makes sense, our timing is off, we can’t spell, and it’s just an overall cluster of a day. I hate those days, they ruin momentum. The next time this happens, take a break: JUST STOP! It doesn’t have to be for the rest of the day, it can be as simple as taking a walk around the building or dropping down for some library/office push-ups. But it lets the mind recoup, something it’s telling us needs to happen or we’re in for a melt-down. You can’t run machine forever without refueling it, it will burn out. Our minds are complex machines that need to be rested from time to time.
Below is a simple solution to protecting your mind from total burn-out. Learn to know yourself better and you can recognize exhaustion just before it happens.
(1.) Recognize your weariness
(2.) Stop immediately
(3.) Walk away & get distracted (yes, by anything)
This seems relatively easy, but it’s not. #1 can and will be misinterpreted, but only by those of us trying to skimp out on work, not by those who are truly exhausted. It is easy to tell ourselves that we’re tired, that we are hurt, that we can’t go on and we need a rest. But it takes a lot to push ourselves far enough to need that break in the action. I want to be clear, there is a difference between pushing through minor adversity and knowing that you’ll hurt yourself if you go much further. The key is to know yourself well enough to call BS on yourself and get over those hills in life while being able to pull the reins when you are on the verge of a collapse.
I can’t tell you where that threshold is, but I can assure you it’s farther than you realize*. Take my rowing example today, had I not had a moment of clarity today after a month of pain and trying to force myself to run, I finally realized I need rest. I have been pushing myself on this for a month before I realized it was time for a rest. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I could have taken a week off a month ago and it might have fixed the issue I’m having with my knee today. I can’t second guess myself at this stage, its too late and I don’t want to get used to giving in so easily. However, next time I will know what I felt like right before the pain began.
Look for signs in your life that show those mentally useless days are upon you and do your best to head them off. If you feel it coming on go out of your way to get a good night’s rest (no alcohol), stimulate your mind with something to read instead of the TV at night, and if you exercise take an afternoon off and just stretch for an hour or so. Each of these activities help me clear my head when it seems overwhelming and I can’t make sense of it all
When we step away, we need to do our best to distract ourselves from whatever it is that’s troubling us. We can try all we want, but that big project or paper or problem will still be there when we get back. And in reality it will never fully leave our minds. Subconsciously, all the details of that project will linger and when we least expect it, the light bulb goes off and our solution is crystal clear.
*I want to attribute this life lesson to Mr. Toby Harkins who pushed me in more ways than he knows during my years playing college football at Charleston Southern University.
