Downtime

Pearl Lake - July 2022

​Downtime, noun: time of reduced activity or inactivity.

Sometimes when exhaustion or burnout hits, vegging out on the couch staring at the TV screen is the habitual response. And yet, this kind of downtime really doesn’t bring the relief one might assume. 

Consider downtime not solely as time spent on one’s behind, but as more a change of scene, and engaging in an activity that is different than what one has been doing. This is the way to refresh both the brain and body. 

Downtime can shift in meaning from person to person, and from day to day. After shoveling snow all morning, downtime might be relaxing in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate. Following an hours-long computer session, a brisk walk outdoors might be more the ticket. After a solo day of working around the house, a social soak in the downtown hot springs or tea at a coffee shop might be nice. 

Downtime is as varied as can be. It is a break from the status quo, a stepping away from the norm, allowing space, a decompression of the mind. It feels good, even when it doesn’t (as in the case of a strenuous climb up a steep mountain). Downtime is subjective and meaningful to the person experiencing the downtime.

The change of activity, the change of location, the break to do something different is what brings an ease and relaxation - which is the whole idea of downtime. In this sense, downtime can be likened to play. Play is excellent for our health, easing stress, enhancing brain function and creativity, allowing relationship-building opportunities. Check out Old Dog? New Tricks: Prioritizing Play to learn more.

As you emerge from the holidays and rejoin the busyness of January and the brand new year, perhaps you’ll consider engaging in a moment, an hour, or a day of downtime. Doing something different from the norm, something that brings you pleasure, and that allows you to feel rejuvenated in body, mind and spirit.