list #25: my recharge program

(This post inspired by Jen’s Being home and the recharge program and Andrea’s Create what you most need to find.)

As you know, I’ve been catching my breath for about the last week, from a zany weekend filled with friends, guests, hosting events, wedding stuff, little sleep and lots of emotion. This week promises to be a bit mad too, with more hosting, more friends, some travel and more emotion. Such is life right now – some days, I can hardly keep up.

However, as Jen says, “I have a recharge routine that is definitely emerging, and now I’m just trying to document it for the next time I need it.” So far, my recharge routine goes something like this:

• Go to the grocery store. Stock up on fruit, cereal, other staples and some form of chocolate or ice cream.
• Cook a few healthy dinners, easing back into the kitchen, giving my body the nutrients it needs, savoring the taste of fresh herbs and veggies. But also (and this is important): Let myself indulge in Rosa’s takeout and LOTS of tortilla chips, when necessary. (They’re best eaten warm, right out of the paper bag.)
• Go to yoga class. Stretch, breathe deeply, sink into downward facing dog, chat with McKay, and listen to my body.
• Dig into a new, good book. (My latest? Rachel Held Evans‘ Evolving in Monkey Town. Review to come.)
• Take a hot bath, either with said good book or with a magazine. (Real Simple and InStyle are my go-tos. I subscribe to the former, and occasionally buy the latter as a treat.)
• Drink lots of tea – of course, I do this every day, but it’s important not to forget. Also: treat myself to an occasional chai latte and a bagel from the on-campus Einstein Bros. shop.
• Make a point of getting up from my desk and walking around the office occasionally. Chatting with co-workers is good, too.
• Put a splash of color in my outfits – a berry-colored skirt, red sandals, a green top (though not all at once, probably).
• Watch some Friends with Jeremiah – we HOWLED at the beginning of Season 10 on Thursday night. (Between Ross’s spray-on tan, Phoebe’s fake British friend and waaay too many margaritas for Ross, we were giggling for a long time.)
• Go to coffee night. Of course. I never miss it, and these ladies are my key to refreshment.
• Sleep in on Saturday, and even take a Sunday nap if necessary.

Basically, these all boil down to: Take care of myself. Maintain the routines that restore me, and let go of the ones that don’t. Get a little more sleep and a little more nutrition and a lot more play. And somehow, I’ll find my way back toward refreshment.