Recovering, Balancing and Relaxing: Active Regeneration
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The art of relaxing is part of the art of working.
John Steinbeck, writer (1902-1968)
Volunteers in the field of integration have to face, as we explained before, various tasks, efforts and strains. To maintain motivation and a healthy condition it is essential that they are able to alternate periods of activity and periods of relaxation. The psychologist and stress expert Gert Kaluza speaks of a „regenerative competence“1 which means the ability of a person to soothe the strains of everyday life, to relieve tension and nervousness and to keep a balance between activity and recreation. In a similar way John Steinbeck speaks of „the art of relaxing“. Thus, we can assume that the ability of recovering and finding a balance can be learned and trained. In this lesson we would like to highlight some important aspects of the „art“ or „competence“ of recreation and recovery.
Active Regeneration
When experiencing phases of stress and overload many people neglect their need for pleasure and relaxation and ignore their personal interests. For a short period, e.g. when finalising a job project or preparing for an exam, this behavioural pattern is useful and causes no damage. But if we do not care for our balance for a longer term we get into a vicious circle: stress becomes permanent, we have no positive and recreational experiences any more and the stress level progressively increases. If we do not break out of this circle sooner or later we run a high risk of getting into physical and mental exhaustion. Frequent consequences are burnout, depression or other physical or psychological disorders.
To find the right balance we should carefully be aware of our feelings and mental state and find the right recovery strategies. In general, it is useful to use free time for activities that are neglected in your daily life. For instance, a person sits at a desk working on a computer for the whole day and relaxes in the evening sitting on a couch watching TV. You do not need to be a psychologist to state that this lifestyle is kind of one-sided and lacks balance.
You might assume that the best way of recovering is doing absolutely nothing. But many studies showed that it is much more effective to do something opposite to the activities of your daily routine.
Some examples: If you have to perform physical work, you can take a bath in the evening and relax on the couch. If you work alone most of the time, try to meet friends or spend time with your family. If you sit all day, look for movement, sports, dancing … etc.
Therefore you should ask yourself „How am I feeling currently?“ in order to find the most helpful balancing strategies.
- You are feeling nervous, restless and overstimulated?
In this case your aim should be to find more inner peace and relaxation. You may do some relaxation exercises, yoga or meditation. Or you go out and have a walk in natural surroundings, forests or meadows. Many people report that movement and nature have a very positive effect on their overstrained nerves. Or you meet friends for cooking and having dinner .Whatever you do, the crucial point is to get into a relaxed and stress-free mood. - You are feeling frustrated and ill-humoured?
Very often a one-sided lifestyle like in the example above leads to frustration and low mood. You should check your daily routine and consider what is lacking: You do a lot of paper or computer work? Then you might find opportunities to do something completely different: sport, making music, painting, cooking, gardening, etc. You have to communicate all day with other people, colleagues, clients or refugees? Then you might long for some hours spent on your own: Having a walk, reading, listening to music or whatever you prefer. - You are feeling bored and unfilled?
Usually this is not the case when you work as a volunteer. But if you have the impression that your life is lacking challenges and fresh air you should look for new inspiration: you could for instance change your daily routine or start something you always wanted to do: learning a new language, playing an instrument, attending a painting class or beginning a new kind of sport … there are so many options. - You are feeling drained and exhausted?
It is clear that you need to recover and to gather new energy. Respect this need instead of omitting it. It is time for a little pampering: Take a relaxing bath, enjoy a nice walk in natural surroundings, lie down in the grass watching the clouds passing by, allow yourself plenty of sleep and good food. You will get back your energies soon.