Deloading can sound like something for fitness gurus or Olympic athletes who seem to work out all day every day. (For those who don’t know, deloading is a process of taking a short period of time off to recover a body and mind from any accumulated stress.)
However, deloading is for everyone, and whether it be physical or mental, taking some time to compensate for overloading your body and mind is not only restful but also effective in actually improving physical and mental strength. Periodical deloading helps you look at the big picture in life and keeps you well rested so that you are recharged!
Tip 1. Reflect on your higher purpose in life
Establishing a sense of purpose can improve both physical and mental health. Ask yourself: what do you contribute to the world? What would you do if you were going to die one year from now? How will you be remembered? What brings you joy? How is life calling you? These are all questions to consider when looking for your purpose, and there’s many more here if you want to put more thought into it.
Did you feel stuck with the questions above? There’s still a way to learn about yourself and your higher purpose - go out and try new things! Whether it be learning a new language, sleeping under the stars, creating art, or even just riding a bike instead of a bus on your commute to work, there are so many things you can do.
This will help you find what's really important to you in your life, whether you come to like or dislike the new thing. New experiences can shift your perspective to help you find out what you should focus on in life.
Tip 2. Avoid stress-inducing distractions
Next, identify stressors in your life and try to avoid distractions that can add stress. Whether it be harmful habits such as excessive shopping or drinking, online distractions, or unproductive conversations, take a step back and examine what adds meaning and value into your life. For example, a messaging app overload can easily cause stress. Try to use these tools at the bare minimum by putting them on 'do not disturb' mode, limiting use to certain hours, or only contacting people via call.
Instead of directly or indirectly stress-inducing distractions, find what makes you laugh. Whether it be certain experiences, hobbies, people, etc., figure out the moments that bring you value in life and give you joy. These moments and stress-reducing habits will energize you and become crucial for practicing self-care.
Tip 3. Turn off all screens for a day
We are surrounded by screens for most of our day, whether it be using a computer screen for work or a smartphone screen and television for entertainment after work. Spending so much time staring at a screen is detrimental not only for our physical health but also for our mental and cognitive abilities. So, deload by taking some time off to do a restful and fun activity! It may be hard since screens are constantly fighting for your attention, but you have to put them down to give your brain a break.
Tip 4. Treat yourself
Following weeks of hard work, you also need to remember to treat yourself. It may be something small (your favorite cookie) or big (a spa day), but whatever it is, remember that you deserve it so enjoy it to its fullest extent! After a period of deloading, you’ll be able to look back and recognize its benefits!
Tip 5. Fine-tune your schedule to include time to destress
Make deloading a priority! Pick a time to deload and include it in your schedule so that you do it regularly - your mind and body have earned it. You can make it as often as a couple times a day to once every few weeks. Just remember the purpose of your deloading and build it into your daily routine to have a more productive rest of the day! Some mini-relaxation tips can be found here and here.
Self-care is important! Click here to download Dreamfora to add the customized plan “The art of deloading”. Dreamfora will set you up with a comprehensive set of daily tasks, habits, and milestones for you to follow.