Time For a Reset
One thing that having a heart-related incident at age 36 will teach you is that you need to listen to your body. When I look back on that time, there were signs up until that day in September where I was rushed into the emergency room, unable to breathe with searing pain in my chest. My body did a hard reset for me. Now I take a break to give myself simple resets to ensure that a hard reset does not happen again.
Dictionary.com defines reset two ways: “to set again or to set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way.” Our bodies are machines that need rest or a shutdown, if you will. During the pandemic, many of us have endured varying levels of stress with minimal outlets. That stress is wreaking havoc on our minds, bodies, and spirits, and if we are not careful, a hard reset could be on the horizon.
According to Healthline, the heart attack death rate has doubled during COVID. One of the reasons noted was people ignoring the signs and symptoms. I can personally relate!
Recently, I found myself spinning. Job stress was getting the best of me as well as my side ventures. I began to feel pain in my shoulders, had issues breathing, and it just felt like I could not get my head right (focus and relaxing to go to sleep were significant issues). I needed a reset, and thankfully I was in tune enough with my body to catch it before it got out of hand. Here are three breakaways to resetting that may be helpful in your life.
Breakaway 1: Reset your social media investment.
I do not know about you, but my weekly phone usage number has increased to stressful levels. Pre-pandemic, I used to spend only 6 hours a day on my phone. In contrast, the week before my recent reset, my phone usage tapped in at over 10 hours. Most of those 10 hours was on social media! That’s crazy and draining. As part of my recent reset, I set an alarm on Instagram to let me know when I have spent more than 45 minutes on the app. I also put a timer on my phone as an added safeguard to alert me to get off! As a last resort, I was prepared to delete the app. The time that I spent on social media has now seen me investing in an old love — reading. My mind is the better for it!
Breakaway 2: Reset your people investment.
People, even your family and friends can drain you. We are living in stressful times, and it is easy to allow someone else to project their stress onto you. However, this can disrupt your mental balance.
During my weekend reset, I put my phone on Do Not Disturb during certain times of the day. Master Braider @IrenesBraids presented another tip via my podcast How To Take A Break. She said that putting her phone on airplane mode daily served as a break for her mind, body, and spirit while allowing her the opportunity to reset from people.
Another great people reset is solo walking. Walking allowed me to be alone with my thoughts and reconnect with myself. Also, do not be afraid to schedule some solo self-care (massage, facial, mani-pedi during off-peak hours). Limit how people access you and your interactions with them so you can hear your thoughts and encourage your voice to shine through. My people reset ultimately showed me that I need to work to better set and implement boundaries with those in my life and not become silent and passive with dissenters.
Breakaway 3: Do a combination reset.
I have named a few resets but recognize you may need to do a combination. To feel refreshed and reconnect to be in tune with your body and mind, you may have to do an array of activities. A combination reset can include a social media break, a people break, and an overhaul of your nutrition and exercise regimen. Play around with the combination until you yield the results that make you feel the most refreshed.
A reset is not a dirty word when it comes to looking out for your health. Just remember that it is better to oversee your reset instead of your body doing a hard reset for you. Share in the comments have you have reset yourself during the pandemic. Let’s start the conversation and hopefully help others in the process!
PM Kester is the host of How To Take A Break — The Podcast. She is also the break taking mother of two girls. She resides in Atlanta, GA.
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