The Ridiculously Essential Annual Recovery Plan – Not having one of these is like not wearing a seatbelt!
This helps you to map out how you are going to recover and regenerate over the coming year. Giving you the tools to stay fresh and consistently deliver awesome results and outcomes whether it be at work, home, life or sport.
Take time to sit down and plan it out TODAY.
Then schedule it in and get excited!
Simply,
ANNUAL RECOVERY PLAN =
1 annual holiday (minimum of 2 weeks)
It’s the ideal opportunity to get in shape and discover new experiences that can be integrated into your life back home.
The Daily Mail
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3 three day weekends or mini-breaks spread over the year
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30 weeks of 100 ‘fill me up’ points
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300 nights of awesome regenerating sleep
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365 days a year – mindful moments
Don’t squirrel your holidays away for a rainy day, use them annually to recharge and renew your vitality for life.
During this time try to keep the use of electronic media (computer, phones, ipad, TV) to a minimum to intensify the ‘fill me up’ effect.
You will return to work one revitalised little puppy ready to launch yourself into the world again.
Mini breaks
These are little release valves spread throughout the year!
Great for just stepping out of life for a moment to regain some perspective while having a few laughs and loads of relaxation. Enjoy them with a partner, friend, family or just by yourself to reboot your system.
Life will feel so much easier and clearer when you return.
Why not…. go camping, book a beach house, head for the mountains, visit friends interstate, whatever rocks your boat, as long as it has nothing to do with work and you are going to have plenty of time to have fun, laugh, relax and unwind.
30 Weeks of 100 ‘Fill me up’ Points – The Ridiculously Essential Annual Recovery Plan
Your aim is to accumulate 100 ‘fill me up’ points a week for 30 weeks of the year.
I dare you…so little to lose so much to gain!
Here are just a few suggestions.
Please feel free to add your own.
| Indoor recovery | points | Outdoor recovery | Points |
| Massage | 50 | Relaxing swim | 25 |
| Stretch/yoga | 40 | BBQ/ picnic | 25 |
| Meditation | 40 | Golf | 25 |
| Social catch-up | 25 | Gardening | 20 |
| Dancing | 25 | Easy cycle | 20 |
| Sex | 25 | Slow walk | 20 |
| Warm bath | 15 | Sightseeing | 20 |
| Relaxing music | 15 | Festival | 20 |
| Reading fiction | 15 | Fishing | 20 |
| Go to a movie | 15 | Amusement park | 15 |
| Watch TV | 5 | Shopping | 15 |
These activities are all about taking things easy – there is no huge score for grinding out a punishing 10km run in the hot afternoon sun.
The idea is to give your body, mind and soul a chance to rest.
300 nights of awesome recharging sleep
The plan is to get 300 nights every year, or six nights a week, of amazing sleep.
Deep restorative sleep is one of the major players for increasing health and vitality.
How you perform physically and mentally is so intricately liked to your sleep quota being met. This is usually 7-8 hours of deep uninterrupted sleep for most people but can vary amongst people.
Reducing your average sleep by just one hour per night over a week long period will result in a 20% decline your daily alertness and ability to perform.
Regular sleeping time: Keep rising and sleep times as regular as possible most days to settle your body clock so you become a well-oiled machine. This will help you stick to your amazing healthy rituals that fill you up every day.
See the day: Serotonin is associated with making you feel fantastic and is manufactured during the day from sunlight. It’s used at night to make melatonin, which induces sleep, so getting good amounts of natural daylight will set you up for amazing restorative sleep.
Even indulging in a warm bath 45 minutes before bed can ensure you pump out those zzzzzzzs.
365 days a year – mindful moments
Every day of the year spend at least 15 minutes connecting mindfully to the moment.
This helps you become present to the moment, leaving behind the past and the future and just experiencing now. How refreshing!
Some people pray, others meditate, while others just sit and be mindful.
Do what works for you as this is all about hooking into the relaxation response, the arch enemy of the stress response.
This is a great activity to do before charging into your home after a busy day’s work.
Taking this time to slow down helps immensely with connecting to loved ones.
Final tip
Grab your planner – now!
Sit down for 15 minutes and plan your ‘fill me up’ program for the next 12 months. Lock in the dates then have fun filling them up with magical experiences that top up the tank.
It feels so amazing knowing you have little treats scattered throughout the year to fill you up.
Schedule in weekly activities to help you get filled up and keep those promises to yourself!
We can make life so much harder by burning ourselves out.
Happy recovering!
And as always I would love to hear if you have any great ways to fill up and add to The Ridiculously Essential Annual Recovery Plan….. by leaving a comment below or getting in touch with us.
