SelfRejuvenation

In the InMyOwnWay topic, Jerry mentioned that he occasionally takes on jobs that are better suited to us "mid-40" whippersnappers. This started me thinking about what I do to "re-charge" after a "draining" experience.

So, what activities or events drain you, and what do you do to "re-charge" and rejuvenate?

DonGray 2002.06.02

Working with other people drains me, and visiting the wiki or the Shape forum rejuvenates me. It's being with people in a time-delayed fashion - not being "on stage" and responsible for instant wisdom. - JerryWeinberg 2002.06.03

Sometimes I take a nap. (The secret is out! This is the *real* benefit of being self-employeed. You can nap during the work day, at least when you are not at a client site.)

Last week I had a difficult morning. I had a deadline that afternoon, and knew I needed to focus. I figured I could consciously process the feelings from the morning or I could push them aside. I chose to take a nap, a short 15 minute sleep. I woke up feeling clear, refreshed and ready to focus. Later in the day, when my task was complete, I turned my attention to processing my difficult morning.

EstherDerby 060302

Not understanding the implications of a design stresses me when I'm supposed to "Just do it!" I tend to surf through subsystems and absorb the general feel. When I saturate, I need to walk around, look at something distant and let my subconscious digest.

Having tasks that differ in necessary involvement or hobbies that distract allow me to relax and find the answer computed in the background. Rote tasks, like feeding horses, serve to let me release. Lately I've been able to do that more consciously - I like that.

BobLee 2002.06.03

Any sufficiently advanced office network, will eventually break, and usually at an inopportune time. So anyway, now that I'm back on line ...

Like Bob, I load the system, and let the background processing compute the answer. Tasks I do while this is happening range from hitting golf balls, to bush hogging.

I like to do white water kayaking for rejuvenation. It can be both relaxing and stressful. I use the stress portion as "stretches" to pull me out of my comfort zone.

DonGray 2002.06.06

I see myself in many of these. Like Jerry, I'm drained after working with people and like the partial distance of the Wiki (though, fortunately for them, no one expects me to be an oracle). Like Esther, I make full use of (lunchtime) naps and hope all my employers are ok with that. Like Bob and Don, I front load and background process whenever I don't have the context I need to see a problem so I can solve it later. Though not as intense as Don's white water kayaking, I pond sail (shifting winds) and canoe (new perspective). I also take very long walks, preferably with trees around, which is good for background processing. Finally, and perhaps most important, I leave my world entirely and read fiction. I'm currently working on Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novels. When I return, my world seems new and different. MikeMelendez 020607

I recharge by walking my dog, playing basketball, and browsing through book stores.

Elmer, a Yellow Labrador, is a great companion. He is an excellent listener, especially attentive when I say "rabbit" or "treat". I walk Elmer at least 30 minutes everyday. During the walks, I get out of man made structures and out into nature. It's the best place I've found for integrating my thoughts and ideas. I look forward to walking Elmer and afterwards I feel refreshed.

I love playing basketball. The average age of the group I play with is 30. I'm old enough to be most of the guys father. My speed and jumping aren't what they used to be but that doesn't matter. When I play basketball, I think only about basketball. I'm fully present without a thought about work. Basketball is my own personal form of meditation.

Books bring me joy. When I'm stressed I go to the bookstores and just browse through books. I buy the ones that really stand out and they are added the pile of other books that I'm reading. There is just something about going to a bookstore that helps me connect to something bigger than myself. For me, it's a lot like walking in the woods. There is lots to see and learn.

SteveSmith 2002.06.07

Off to Oz. See SelfStuff

DonGray 06.08.2002

I read or I speak. When I need alone time, I read. When I need people time, I speak (not necessarily formally). I find that both activities rejuvenate me. And, if I can talk Naomi into a speaker's session this year, we'll talk about why speaking rejuvenates people like me (flaming extraverts).

During the work day, I like taking quick exercise breaks. We have a basketball hoop in the backyard, and I continually practice my free throws. I suspect other people laugh at me, the middle-aged, short, suburban matron practicing her free throws, but hey, I like it. And, isn't that what rejuvenation is all about? JohannaRothman 2002.06.10

Writing for work drains me, writing fiction revializes me. Talking usually reviatlizes me when I've been "in my head" doing analysis or drudge work. Reading fiction revitalizes me, reading non-fiction drains me.

Hmm, maybe I like the dialogue in the fiction, interaction between characters, like I'm there, and it helps my "E" get what it needs even when alone.

Lastly, if I put on an new CD version of an old album and rock out for a while, that is a great revitalizer...think Dark Side of the Moon, anything Genesis, or some old Aerosmith or Eric Clapton. (Reliving my youth). MarieBenesh 2002.06.17

I like the different takes on ReadingAndWritingPreferences between Mike, Steve, Johanna, and Marie. Let's break that out. --BobLee

I find self-examination, introspection, draining. (Not sure whether that is paradoxical with my being an I type on the MBTI grid.) I find creative work - moving towards a strategic goal in "flow", either alone but most especially with others - rejuvenating. Walks in the sun are also regenerating.

I want to inquire into the quality of others' "drained" or "recharged" states. What characterizes times when you feel drained ? What do you tend to do or not to do when drained ? When recharged ?

LaurentBossavit 2002.08.06

When I'm teaching and feel drained, it's because I've been trying to make the students learn, rather than creating an environment for learning (like AYE). The drain is the result, not the cause. - JerryWeinberg 2002.08.06

Jerry, that begs the observation that I've noticed many in the teaching profession that seem to recharge through repetition, and expect students to recharge that way, too! I find the repetition draining - I keep thinking I could just automate this somehow...

I believe it's important to have some repetition-tolerant folks on the team - otherwise, every new hire can be a repetition drain. (having to make them learn) I've noticed that a lot of good tech writers are repetition-tolerant and that consistency is an important redundancy for the reader's trust. - BobLee 2002.08.07

Ahhhh, so its *not* so much the rejuvenation, but the de-juvenation that we should be paying attention to....BobKing 2002.08.07

On one of the SHAPE threads, Jim Bullock mentions the draining he feels when compensating out-of-MBTI-type - acting unnaturally because no natural of the type is present to represent the native strengths and viewpoint. I see 2 lessons in this:

You can substitute for a missing type, but with energy drain.
You do better looking for natural diversity to shoulder that load without the drain.

--BobLee 2002.08.08

Bob, I don't understand - what is 'out-of-MBTI-type'? BobKing 2002.08.08

Emulating an opposite (N emulating S, I emulating E, P emulating J...) - Bob

Thanks, Bob.

I think I get it now - a well functioning team probably needs a balance of MBTI types on it. If the team is un-balanced, someone may compensate by working against their preference - but at a cost of a terrific energy drain. You feel that a solution is to make sure that your team has a good balance to start with. BobKing 2002.08.09

Jerry, you said that when you try to make students learn, you feel drained. I recently turned down some teaching because of that. The client said they wanted me to lecture, with no activities. I asked if there was a problem with activities. The client said, "We don't want people to be pushed too far out of their comfort zone." Unbelievable. I asked what teaching was for, if not to move people into a new comfort zone? The client said I probably wasn't the right person for the job. I agreed :-) wholeheartedly!!

I'm realizing now that doing a variety of tasks, including some physical tasks during the day invigorates me in ways I didn't expect. When I was a project manager and a manager, I always had people to see and meetings to get to, so I was able to move around. You folks in regular jobs, how do you handle the "gotta move around" thing during the day? --JohannaRothman 2002.08.16

I always figured that either the bathroom or water fountain was excuse enough to stretch and change visual focus from 20" to long focus. I always find that lets the brain loose a bit after a session of flow has had its run. I find that not stretching when I feel I need it is counterproductive. Having an unobstructed view to a window can alleviate the itch about half the time, but the other half I have to walk. --BobLee 2002.08.16

Johanna, I'm glad that I've helped you avoid a bad assignment. Life is too short for clients like that, even with maximum rejuvenation. - JerryWeinberg 2002.08.16

Achieving success is rejuvinanting, and experiencing failure is draining... I think some people find TestDrivenDevelopment really motivating because you acheive a success every five minutes or so (some people get a new test passing every two or three minutes). --KeithRay 2002.08.16

Updated: Saturday, August 17, 2002