Shake it to wake it.

Shake it to Wake it.

Finding Happy. I don’t know about you, but I find life hectic. It feels like the world has become more frantic than it previously was somehow, despite having two years of enforced restrictions drive us to slow down…or maybe that’s why.

I have been feeling in a permanent state of exhaustion and judgement for not being able to bounce back to the expectations set upon me by life in general. Yet, as I think about it further – I feel that we haven’t given ourselves the permission and time, to rest, recover or recharge from the two-year pandemic’s stress, exhaustion, anxiety and survival mode which we inhabited.

We have nosedived straight back into the world of work, with a sudden emphasis on ‘catching up’ like we have all been resting on our laurels for the past 36months.
So we at Roots in Routes thought that we should share some thoughts on how to ‘shake it up’, and the tools we use to help us rest, recover, recharge and feel more energised with a little bit of adventure thrown in!

1.      Try something new

For us recharging and rest is being in Nature, whatever yours is – try going somewhere, or doing something new.
Find somewhere in your local area which you’ve never explored before that you can get to just by walking out of your front door. Pioneer a new local route, and break your routine of habit…you might surprise yourself with what you find.

2.      Break up the routine

If your day job requires a few meetings in person or online - try doing them slightly differently.
An in person meet? Go for a meeting walk with a coffee/smoothie and a stroll to get the good mood vibes of nature to help stimulate and inspire you to think further out the box.

Move your location – find different places to work from, if it is a beautiful day one of my favourite things to do is use my dongle and go roaming, working with a great view and fresh air brings me so much happiness when I am working from a laptop…in the middle of a field!

3.      Go and play

Play is essential. Build it into your daily routine, your work routine, your life. With play there is always just a little bit more adventure!
This can be setting yourself a speed walk race. Playing eye spy or hide and seek on a walk with friends. Collecting a rainbow of leaves on your walk, or seeing if you can get across the floor without touching the ground…there’s always a way to just break up the monotony and have a little bit more fun.

4.      5-9 adventures

Sometimes inviting a little bit of adventure in forces us to disconnect from the tech, connect with ourselves, or our people, or simply the outdoors.
Try closing your office door…or wherever you work, picking up your rucksack and heading out for a camp out somewhere. Eating your tea in the wild, falling asleep beneath the stars and rising to the sun ready to then get back to work for 9am the next day having filled your evening with a micro-adventure all of your own can sometimes be the most relaxing and yet invigorating way to spend an evening. Alistair Humphrey’s has some great tips on how to do this so check him out for some more detailed ideas.

5.      Addressing the balance and prioritising fun

I schedule my fun first. And I am no longer ashamed of that. I used to think it was selfish, or rude, however I have changed my mind.  Prioritising my fun, my joy, means that ultimately I have more energy, patience and care to give my people and my work.
Give it a go, take a look in the diary at what the week has to hold, and plan in things that will bring you some joy. It doesn’t matter what that is…
Movie night, facial, camp out, cook out, date night, friends night, reading a book and relaxing…whatever it is that week you know you need for you to feel good, to have fun, to feel adventurous, pop it in the diary first and protect it. This can fit around work commitments and family life…you can even plan in family fun if you’ve got kids, build it in and make a new habit.
Once you’ve scheduled the week (I normally fit this in during my early mornings or evenings…sometimes my lunch break) you’ll realise that you have things to look forward to, to enjoy, to revitalise and buoy you up. Why don’t you just give it a go, prioritise your fun and see what the week brings!

Finding your happy to us means going at your own pace, in your own way with what feels good and leaning into it. Connecting with the outdoors is vital to us and our mindset, so even if it is just giving 10 minutes of outside time soaking up the smells and the fresh breeze in the morning with your coffee on your front step – give it a go. Be kind to yourself and build in things that help you rest, recharge, revitalise and have fun.

We hope you find some of your happy this week!

love,
G&A