How to Re-Energize (in real life)
Practical ways to recover and get inspired for the madness ahead
👋Hello, my friend. I hope your summer is going great. I am writing to you today from Jackson Hole, Wyoming where my family and I are enjoying some incredible scenery and fresh mountain air. I’ve got traveling on the mind, and I want to talk to you today about what it actually means (at least to me) to re-energize, so that we can come back ready to perform at a high level in every part of our lives for the remainder of the year. I hope some of it resonates with you.
Let’s do it!
Taking a breath before the insanity
I don’t know about you but in my family, the period from mid-August (starting with back-to-school) through early-December is absolute madness. Between kids adapting to new teachers, classes, schools and sports seasons, and everyone at work trying to jam six months of work into about three, the back part of the year feels like an all-out sprint. There honestly aren’t many moments to rest. It’s more about (somehow) trying to satisfy all of your responsibilities without dropping any major balls.
So we know that’s coming! But.. good news… it’s not here YET. We’ve still got a little bit of time and I hope that you, like me, are trying to take at least a few opportunities to re-energize.
What is re-energizing… really?
Now, my perception of what “re-energizing” actually means has changed over the years. As a young adult, it definitely involved a beach and alcohol. Now, that doesn’t appeal so much. (Especially not the latter since I’m about to hit two years off the sauces… how did that happen?)
It’s funny, when I think of re-energizing in my mind, I have visions of being at some wellness spa. I’m seeing cucumbers over eyes, I’m seeing delicious detoxifying green drinks with ingredients like turmeric and wheatgrass. Oh, and there is sleep, so much incredible relaxing sleep. Waking up with the warm sun hitting my face, feeling completely refreshed, letting out a nice leisurely yawn before having a fresh-brewed cup of the most unbelievable Colombian coffee as I pull back the curtains to take in views of the most epic, secluded beach you’ve ever seen.
That’s the re-energizing picture I see in my mind but… only one problem, that’s not my reality.
My reality is more like: I have kids. So scenes like that don’t happen!
But I’m not complaining… I mean, I’m Jackson Hole. I’m just pointing out that re-energizing can (and probably needs to) look a bit different than what we might envision as that perfect scenario.
So what does it mean? Well, here are a few (slightly more practical) ways to re-energize this summer before the madness commences.
Six Ways to Re-energize (that actually work)
Visit new (or old) places — For various kid-related activities, we’ve found ourselves this summer in Cooperstown, NY; Baltimore, MD; Chattanooga, TN; (okay, not exactly the French Riviera), and now Jackson, WY. There were things I liked and didn’t like about each one of these places, but the sheer act of physically changing locations, seeing new sites, and walking new paths is powerful. It changes your perspective so much, including your perception of the place you call home and see everyday. Traveling is exhausting but it’s also energizing. And maybe nothing is more educational for kids than seeing new places.
Get inspired — When was the last time you felt the emotion “awe”? Awe is defined as “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder”. It’s an incredibly powerful emotion. So much so that Johns Hopkins has an entire academic research initiative focused on the many benefits (physical and mental) that humans get from feeling this emotion. This week, I’ve felt awe looking at the sheer size and beauty of the Teton mountains. Nature is one of the most common ways to feel awe. And it’s not just mountains that provoke awe (though feeling our relative smallness compared to massive mountains, canyons or even among the thousands of stars visible on a clear night out West can actually be incredibly powerful and comforting… it puts our problems in perspective); awe can also come from observing an animal on a hike; or watching the sun peek over the horizon while sitting on a quiet beach. It comes in other places, too. Like watching your kid accomplish a goal they’ve struggled with. Or even in the feeling of losing yourself in a crowd of thousands singing at the top of their lungs at a summer concert. Getting inspired, feeling awe… is energizing. We should all do it more.
Take a break from technology & news— I’m getting more anti social media these days but it’s still got its claws into me. Twitter is back on my phone and that’s my biggest tech addiction. But Facebook, Instagram, TikTok…I can’t have those on my phone. So addicting! I think I mentioned to you that I once had TikTok… literally for one day. That one is straight crack cocaine. An incredible time drain. Anyhow, I’m convinced that staring at feed-based social media on the regular is no bueno. Especially short-form video. So this time of year is a great one to put the phone away. Apparently, there’s some election coming up, too, that people are worried about. That’s not helping. Here’s one thought on that to consider: Are you okay with external events or the strong views of other people living rent-free in your mind? Here’s another: Are you okay with letting other people (often people you’ve never met and never will) ruin your day, week, year, or mental health more generally? I’m stepping away from the phone for a few days. My brain needs a break. I’m gonna listen to some music and go for a walk instead. Read on for some music recommendations.
Connect with old friends — This is a cool time of year to try to see old buddies. One of these years, I’m going to actually make it to Connecticut and Massachusetts for a vacation so be warned old friends, that’s gonna happen… but in the meantime, when I can see an old friend, I try to do it. Was able to do it in Cooperstown and Jackson Hole this year. It feels good, important, and energizing.
Take a moment to feel truly grateful — I’m not as good at practicing gratitude as I’d like to be. But I try to remind myself (especially when things are going particularly well, even if just for a moment), that hey, this is pretty cool. This week, traveling with my family, I’m trying to correct them (the kids!) a bit less and enjoy them a bit more. And I’m trying to remember that right now is pretty damn cool. These are the “good old days” for my young family. I want to make sure I don’t forget to appreciate them. That thought gives me energy.
Give yourself some grace — Listen, I’m kind of psycho these days about my goals to improve my body composition and VO2 max (see my last newsletter) but even I realize that it’s okay to chill a little on vacation. I know I won’t be able to eat exactly how I want to. I know I won’t be able to do my lifting routine. But that’s okay. My body probably needs a little break anyhow. I’m still going to exercise in some way, shape or form every day. And I’m still going to prioritize protein. But I’m also going to eat ice cream with my kids and not feel guilty about it. When I get back though, it’s full throttle! Ha... not joking though.
Well, that’s it. Six ways to actually come back re-energized from that time off that I hope you’re taking. If I’m honest, I’m probably going to forget to do half of them. But that’s where #6 comes in… giving myself some grace. It’s all about setting the right intention and looking for ways to improve on the margins. Because that stuff adds up.
I hope you get some rest in the weeks to come and have a chance to re-energize - whatever that means to you.
I’m ramping things back up with Intentional Wisdom this fall. So if you’ve got topics you’d like me to write about or podcast guests you’d like me to have on the show, just let me know.
Thanks as always for reading… and be sure to check out the content diet below. Have some good stuff for you this week!
Greg
Content Diet
Traveling music: I’ve been listening to a decent bit of Chris Stapleton and Zac Bryan lately. I guess you can consider this country music but it’s almost more like Southern Rock… I don’t know… anyhow, it’s good. It’s also great traveling music. A few of my favorite tunes are: You Should Probably Leave and Traveller from Stapleton, and Traveling Man, Nine Ball and I Remember Everything from Bryan. What do you think?
Book: The Demon of Unrest (Erik Larson) — I’ve read everything that Larson has written. Just like Candice Millard (remember my interview with her?), he writes historical non-fiction books with such incredible stories and characters that they feel like fiction. I’m still in the middle of this one but loving it so far. It’s all about the events, especially in South Carolina, that precipitated the U.S. Civil War. It’s wild to read (often in the form of journal entries or letters) how people at the time viewed slavery (Abe Lincoln was not against it when he was elected by the way), and how the dominoes fell to ultimately lead to war.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon podcasts: Last time, I told you how much I loved Dr. Lyon’s recent podcast with Andrew Huberman. Since then, I’ve listened to a couple more of her podcasts including one with Julia Mitchell where she gave some great advice on diet and strength training (particularly for women) and one with Dr. Mike Israetel where they covered the basic how’s and why’s of lifting weights including for beginners of ALL ages.
Last thing - before you go… some good news. I just booked a podcast with one of my favorite Peloton instructors. Won’t mention who yet but I’ll just say I do a ton of my strength training with this instructor so we’re going to go deep on strength-training (especially after 40). Any questions on the front, let me know and I’ll try to ask.
Thanks as always for reading. And safe travels this summer.
Greg