It's about how you recharge

Here's an article I came across 18 months ago about resilience. It asserts that resilience is "about how you recharge, not how you endure"

This is OMF's house, really it is three apartments,
we'll occupy the whole upper floor.

We often take a militaristic, “tough” approach to resilience and grit. We imagine a Marine slogging through the mud, a boxer going one more round, or a football player picking himself up off the turf for one more play. We believe that the longer we tough it out, the tougher we are, and therefore the more successful we will be. However, this entire conception is scientifically inaccurate.

It involves not just physically resting, but giving our brains a rest too. So when you're taking a break you're not looking at email, or mulling over a work problem, or getting riled up about politics or family problems (as best you can). For me that means that taking time to get out in nature, or being absorbed in a good book that allows you to depart from your work and family stressors, are good things. Spending time with friends, chilling out with a movie, and taking time to be creative also work. 

What helps you rest?

I'm about to do all of the above. From tomorrow we're taking our annual Christmas holiday. A week at an OMF holiday house in the foothills west of Tokyo. We've been holidaying in this area at this time of year since 2006, the year after we first moved to Tokyo. It's become a much anticipated and loved time away.

For me it means sleep-ins, lots of reading, hanging out with the family, simple meals, and a few fun outside activities like a favourite restaurant. And really leaving work behind. 

I'm a bit concerned this time, though. I had all my ducks lined up, all the work I needed to get done so that I could walk away for a week and leave my computer behind. But today, for reasons unknown to me I've lost administrator access to the OMF blog, so the three posts that I was going to put up for the coming ten days can't go up.

The main person who helps me through problems like this lives in the UK and doesn't get to work until 5pm our time, by which time I'll be out of the office doing errands and then going to a Christmas party. Maybe, if the problem gets fixed by tomorrow morning, I'll be able to squeeze them in before we go, but it isn't ideal. But "shouganai" as the Japanese say: there's nothing I can do about it right now. 

Aside from that blip, I'm doing my best to get everything else out of the way so that next week can be a great recharging week!