Unplanned Chill-Time is Killing your Energy . . .

Ok, big statement! I know. Let me firstly say . . . This truth may not help or apply to every single reader. However, I think it will help many.

The biggest emphasis in the title above ought to be placed on the word "unplanned"

I want to start with the main point of this 'article' right at the outset. Here it is > It's possible that one of the most wasteful and accidental leakages of your precious soul energy, is in the form of unplannedchill/down time.

Please don't make conclusions just yet. Stay with me if you can. I am not for a moment suggesting that we should not have down time, or time out. In fact, I am one of the staunchest advocates of the exact opposite. We need down time, rest time, chill time. Without it, exhaustion and burnout are lurking at the door.

However, my assignment today is to persuade you, that something far more nuanced, that you may never have considered, is at play. I believe that there is great danger (for our soul health), in what actually takes place for most people when our chill time is unplanned, accidental and not set in our diary on purpose.

Once again . . . I know we need rest. I know we sometimes feel so tired we just want to go to bed for days at a time, and we are very reactive when we say things like "I'll take whatever kind of rest I can get, whenever, however"

But . . . that could be part of our problem. I think we may be missing an opportunity to do things wiser, more strategically and more effectively.

I want to propose to you today that when we don't plan our rest time/down time/chill time, it may be having the opposite effect on our soul. The cold hard truth is that for many people, that moment of finally being able to exhale and slump on the lounge or bed, may be doing more damage (as it pertains to our energy levels) than we actually realise. If true, how cruelly ironic, that our attempted rest could be adding to our lack of energy and motivation . . . .

For many people, their actual experience is that most of the time when they try to chill out, they just find themselves stuck in the middle, half way between rest and work. Too tired to work. Too agitated to rest. We are 'stuck between gears'. This is possibly the worst (and one of the most draining) locations for our soul to dwell. In this place, the absence of peace can be suffocating. The chief reason, I believe, for us feeling this sense of being stuck in the middle, is connected to the fact that our chill time is unplanned, accidental and characterised by disengaged idleness. It's hurting our soul. There is a better way to rest.

The most common 'fruits' of "Unplanned Chill Time" are; Frustration, Energy drain, Tiredness, Depressive inclination, Relationship strain, and the like. Is this your experience? Does this sound familiar? Often what goes hand in hand with this "Unplanned Chill Time" is excessive screen time, and we end up 'death scrolling' (sometimes for hours). When we finally come out of our screen cave, we feel more exhausted than before. We need a circuit breaker!

When we get into this pattern of 'unsuccessful rest' we are tempted to demonise work and productivity, as if they were the problem. I understand that not everyone loves their job, however, the real truth is that productivity is actually healthy for our soul, and not the enemy we sometimes allege. In fact, the momentum gained from strategic productivity can sometimes be part of the solution to the tiredness in our soul. Commencing with the smallest tasks on our list, we steadily gain traction, overcome procrastination and believe it or not . . . become energised in our soul by the productivity released. So work, is not often the source of the rest problem we seem to be having.

A major contributor to our lack of satisfaction with our chill time, is actually the unplanned nature of it. In other words, it kind of just happens without us having any say over it. This is not good.

We need to PLAN IT, and PLAN HOW TO SPEND IT. I want you to try this experiment soon. PLAN IT (in your diary) & PLAN HOW TO SPEND IT (what will you do in the set time block in your diary)

The power is in the choosing! Chill time on purpose, with a purpose.

Try starting your week (on a Sunday or Monday), by looking at your diary and deciding where would be an appropriate time/s for your chill time. Write it into the diary. Block it out (like you would for a meeting or appointment). Then, choose what you will do in that time frame (choose anything; coffee, exercise, sleep, hang with friends, movie,social media, whatever). The point is . . . YOU choose it on purpose. When the time block is ended, return to whatever is next in your routine. I think you might be surprised how much energy, empowerment and motivation can be unlocked and re-engaged by this simple strategic discipline.

In fact, I would go as far as to say, that you may even experience the 'nirvana' of deriving energy from your rest & your work! That's right. I did actually say that. It can happen!